Putting the Pieces Back Together
by TheImaginator
Summary: AU: Piper, Leo, Cole, Phoebe, Prue, Andy, Glen and Paige's lives are all hectic and falling apart, so badly they don't notice something very evil is going on. Can they piece their lives back together in time to save their innocent? FINISHED
1. Arguements

Disclaimer: If I owned Charmed I wouldn't be writing a fic about it, would I?  
  
A/N: This is an A/U fic. There's still magic, except Cole is not dead. He's still a demon, as he can still shimmer and throw an energy ball, but he's good. The manor has also been extended and it's larger. For example, the attic is two rooms and a bathroom. You get me?  
  
Family info: Piper and Leo are still married with Wyatt, seven and Melinda three. They're still in love, but their marriage is teetering on the rocks of divorce. Phoebe and Cole have already gone down divorce lane. They have a daughter called Grace, six. Cole is always visiting Grace and lives at the penthouse. Phoebe and Grace still live at the extended manor, and Phoebe is dating Jason, her boss. Prue is married to Andy and they're both white lighters. Lastly Paige is engaged to Glen and she's three and a half months pregnant.  
  
Children's Powers: Wyatt and Melinda can orb and heal. Melinda can freeze things and blow things up but Wyatt can only freeze. Grace can shimmer, throw energy balls and get min-premonitions, except instead of showing her evil they'll show her normal things since she's still young. For example she might touch a spoon and see Wyatt eating the last of the ice cream. Her energy-balls are harmless as she's still young, and all they do is sting a little.  
  
**Arguments**  
  
Three year old Melinda watched, eyes wide as her Aunt Phoebe and ex-Uncle Cole stood in the hall, arguing.  
  
"Cole, you don't run my life anymore! That's part of the reason we're divorced remember? Because you're a control freak!!"  
  
"Phoebe, it's only been five months and you're already dating!" Cole roared back. "What does that tell you?" Melinda sat herself on the carpet. She looked adorable with her blonde hair in a sprinkler on her head, in overalls and a pink shirt.  
  
"Are you suggesting something?" Phoebe demanded, eyeing Melinda. She would have said a lot more if she weren't there.  
  
"Like what?" Cole challenged.  
  
"Cole, just go already!" Phoebe snapped. "You've seen Grace and you are no longer welcome in this house. Go!!"  
  
Melinda watched with interest as Ex-Uncle Cole and Aunt Phoebe glared at each other. Most probably, having one of those contests Grace and Wyatt always had.  
  
"Are you having a staring contest?" Melinda couldn't help but interrupt. Cole seemed to notice Melinda for the first time.  
  
"Why hello Mellie!" He greeted her. She'd always been adorable, but today he could just eat her up.  
  
"Hello Ex-Unkie Cole." Melinda said with a charming smile.  
  
"Piper!" Phoebe yelled. "Piper!!" Piper looked up, eyebrows raised.  
  
"This better be important." Piper said, looking away from Grace and Wyatt, who were squabbling. Piper rolled her eyes and froze them both, before allowing Phoebe to drag her into the conservatory.  
  
"Can you watch Melinda please? I'm trying to kick Cole out of the house and she just called him Ex-Unkie Cole. Now he thinks I'm poisoning the children's minds."  
  
Piper couldn't help laughing. "Is that all?"  
  
"Yes, that's all." Phoebe said, putting Melinda on the ground and stalking out. Piper smiled, amused, picked up Melinda and took her back to the kitchen, where she unfroze Wyatt and Grace.  
  
Melinda looked up at Piper, her eyes brimming with tears that were about to spill over. "Mommy? Is Auntie Phoebe angry with me?"  
  
"No honey, she's angry at Ex-Uncle C-. she's angry with Uncle Cole." Piper corrected herself quickly.  
  
"Wyatt!" Grace complained. "Don't call me that! Aunt Piper!"  
  
"Call you what? Grace-y Deface-y?" Wyatt taunted.  
  
Piper coughed. "Excuse me? Do you mind sharing where you thought that up?"  
  
"I-"  
  
Just then Leo orbed in. "Hey Wyatt, Gracie. Hey Melinda."  
  
"Hi Leo." Piper said with a small wave.  
  
"Hi." Leo said, not looking at her. He gave Melinda a piggyback ride, and Piper pursed her lips.  
  
"Leo she ate half an hour ago. I wouldn't do that if I were you."  
  
"It's a piggy back ride Piper, it's harmless. It's not like I'm spinning her around."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"So where's everyone?" Leo asked, tickling Wyatt. Piper smiled a little at her children's laughter. "Phoebe and Cole are arguing in the hall, Prue's gone out to take some scenic photos, Andy's with one of his charge's, Glen is at work and Paige is re-organizing the house. At the moment she's making around nine bottles of every potion in the book and then storing them away for when evil comes." Piper replied, glancing warily at Wyatt and Melinda. Leo always got them so hyper active, and they would stay like that for the rest of the day or night.  
  
"Making every potion in the book? Where's she going to store that?" Phoebe asked, walking in and over hearing the last part of their conversation.  
  
"Daddy's left?" Grace asked, disappointed.  
  
"Yeah." Phoebe nodded. "He's finally left." 


	2. Busted

A/N: Thanks for your reviews! Blah, I actually only realized what happened once I'd uploaded that FF.net is not like MS Word. So please forgive me for the two, big fat paragraphs that ended up as my chapter. Andy and Prue are both white lighters but I accidentally forgot to put charge instead of innocent. It's been a while since I wrote a fanfic, and this is my first Charmed one. Also we no longer have Charmed in my city, so it's kind of hard. (I just have to read the transcripts.) I know the kids are cute, but that's how I love kids. Still, I'll keep that in mind and won't put Unkie anymore :p And lastly, for whoever asked, here's info on the sisters. Before that though, I did put it in last time, though if you didn't read that giant chunk it became, I understand.  
  
Piper: Married to Leo, mother of Melinda (Mellie), 3 and Wyatt, 7.  
  
Prue: Whitelighter, married to Andy (also a whitelighter). They live like Leo around the house, and Prue can't have kids.  
  
Phoebe: Divorced from Cole, dating her boss Jason. Cole and her daughter is Grace, 6  
  
Paige: Engaged to Glen, 3 ½ months pregnant.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed.  
  
Summary: A/U: Piper, Leo, Cole, Phoebe, Prue, Andy, Glen and Paige's lives are all hectic and falling apart, so badly they don't notice something very evil is going on. Can they piece their lives back together in time to save their innocent?  
  
**Busted** Piper looked up as Leo orbed into their room. "You're finally home!" She cried, annoyed. Leo hadn't been in all night.  
  
"I had a charge to take care of." Leo said apologetically. "The Elders are working me to the bone."  
  
"I've noticed. You're never home." Piper said, frustrated. "I hardly see you. The reason Melinda and Wyatt go ecstatic whenever they see you because you're never in. What's going on Leo? What's so important that you've been gone so much lately?"  
  
"I can't tell you Piper. You know I can't." Leo said with a sigh.  
  
"Well screw the elders. They'll never know!" Piper argued.  
  
"Piper, please." Leo grabbed some clothes from the wardrobe and disappeared into the bathroom.  
  
"Just walk out then." Piper muttered, and decided to go find Phoebe. She wasn't in her room, so Piper went downstairs. Nobody was in the living room, so Piper went to the conservatory instead. The scene that greeted her was of utter chaos. Wyatt sat on a chair, frozen. Andy was also frozen, and tied to his chair. Piper peeked around the doorframe to see what would happen next.  
  
"Ready?" Asked Melinda.  
  
"Ready." Grace confirmed, and threw an energy ball at Wyatt. At the same time Melinda blew Andy up. In his place were glittering white orbs, which quickly turned into an extremely annoyed Andy.  
  
"I think that's enough." Piper said, walking into full view. Melinda and Grace were the picture of guilt as they caught sight of her.  
  
"Busted." Andy muttered, and couldn't help but smirk at his mischievous nieces.  
  
"Aunt Piper, I swear it was only a game! Ask Wyatt!"  
  
"I would if he weren't frozen." Piper said dryly. "Melinda, unfreeze your brother or I'll freeze you."  
  
"Aw! We were having fun!" Grace protested. "Me and Mel were only trying to practice for when a demon comes!" She added, as Melinda unfroze Wyatt.  
  
"Oh be quiet Grace." Wyatt mumbled.  
  
"Wyatt." Piper said warningly.  
  
"Come on Grace, I'm taking you upstairs. You've got a lot of explaining to do young lady." Andy said, trying to be firm. Truth be told, he was a total sucker for kids, especially since he had none.  
  
Grace turned paler as Andy said the "young lady" and held his hand as he orbed them upstairs. Piper couldn't help but give an amused smile, and stored "young lady" away for later use, before turning to Melinda and raising an eyebrow. She squeaked and ran upstairs. Wyatt gave a small smirk, and then orbed upstairs. Piper frowned.  
  
"Wyatt! Remember what I said about personal gain? Use the stairs!" 


	3. Advice

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed!  
  
A/N: Thanks for your reviews! Whoever asked, you'll just have to wait and see if Cole and Phoebe get back together. I don't know much about Jason though, as stated before I haven't seen the latest series, I only read transcripts. I think I'll still be going with the Unkie. I like that word.  
  
**Advice**  
  
Prue orbed into the upstairs hallway, where she found Melinda sitting on the top step, crying very softly.  
  
"Melinda, what's wrong?" Prue said at once, sitting next to her on the step. Melinda looked up at her, eyes wide.  
  
"Auntie Prue." She said carefully. "Let's pretend me n' Grace froze Wyatt n' threw energy balls at him n' blew up Uncle Andy. If this wasn't pretend, you don't think I would be in lots of trouble, do you?" She asked, rather hopefully.  
  
Prue pretended to consider this. "Well Mel, if you and Grace did do all that stuff I think you'd be in lots of trouble." She replied seriously.  
  
Melinda sniffed. "I'm trying to be brave Auntie Prue." She said tearfully. "But I'll tell you a secret? I didn't make it up. It happened n' Uncle Andy took Grace upstairs n' he called her young lady!"  
  
Prue stifled a laugh. "I don't think you'll be in trouble." She gave Mel a reassuring pat on the head. Mel's face lit up like a Christmas tree, and was halfway down the stairs when Prue coughed. "Aren't you forgetting something?"  
  
"Um." Melinda thought hard. "Thanks Auntie Prue!" She giggled, and ran away. Prue smiled, and met Piper coming out of her room.  
  
"Oh there you are. Prue, do you think I could talk to you? I've got a few problems and I thought maybe you could help me sort them out?"  
  
"Sure, what?" Prue asked. Piper glanced around then dragged Prue into her and Andy's room. Prue raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Prue. I think Leo and I are close to a divorce." She mumbled, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I don't know what's happening. It's just, well lately the elders seem to be having an awful lot of meetings don't you think? And I can't help it, but we're always arguing lately. I think he can feel the change too."  
  
"It is tiring." Prue agreed. "As a whitelighter myself, I do know what it's like for Leo. Maybe you should relax a bit more?"  
  
"I know I should, but the other day I found an earring in Leo's shirt pocket. It fell out when I was doing the washing. And his shirt stinks of perfume." Piper sighed. "I don't know. Sometimes you and Andy are home and Leo's out. I know he has charges, but damn don't I deserve a right to know if my husband is cheating on me?"  
  
"Of course you do!" Prue soothed. "But give him the benefit of the doubt. Think about it a bit more. After all, he has charges that are female. Don't go snooping, but try and look out for any hints or clues. And Leo. well he loves you. And you love him. I'm sure he's not cheating on you."  
  
"I know he has charges. But well, I can't help thinking, what about mom and her whitelighter? I mean they had Paige!!"  
  
"Yeah." Prue nodded.  
  
Piper realized what she'd said. "Oh Prue, I'm sorry. I mean, here I am talking about children and you."  
  
"Piper I live with three kids. I think I'll be okay."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Positive." Prue lied. "Really. Why don't you go find Leo now and talk to him though? Don't confront him, just. you know."  
  
"Yeah. Maybe I will. Thanks Prue."  
  
"Anytime Piper." Prue watched Piper leave, and then collapsed on the bed. Rolling over to her side, she saw the baby photos of her nieces and nephew. Prue sighed, and closed her eyes as hot tears threatened to spill out. Before she knew it, she was asleep. 


	4. Baby Dreams

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for Grace and kind-of Melinda.  
  
A/N: In case you didn't read before, Prue can't have kids.  
  
**Baby Dreams**  
  
Prue walked over to bassinet in the corner. She couldn't quite tell which room it was, but she knew she was in the manor. Oh wait no. It was Paige's room. Paige leaned over just as Prue got there and pulled out a beautiful baby girl. "Do you want to hold her Prue?" In the background Glen smiled proudly.  
  
"Yes, yes I do." Prue said, nodding. Paige smiled at Prue, and then looked down at her daughter tenderly. "Does she have a name yet?" Prue asked.  
  
"No, not yet." Paige admitted. "Here." She carefully lowered the baby into Prue's arms. As soon as the baby was safely nestled there, there was a flash and Prue was in another room. It was Melinda's. Wyatt and Melinda sat on the floor coloring in, and Leo sat on the creamy white couch. Piper was practically sitting on his lap, and they were smiling at each other, and then smiling at Wyatt and Melinda.  
  
"Hug me!" Melinda urged, and abandoned her crayons to run over to her parents. Wyatt jumped up and ran over to them as well.  
  
"How about you hug your Aunt Prue?" Piper suggested to them.  
  
"Alright." They both agreed, and ran over to Prue. Prue smiled, and squatted down, arms out. As soon as Wyatt reached her there was a flash. Prue's eyes prickled. Every time she got near one of the kids she disappeared. She couldn't have kids and now she couldn't go near her nieces and nephew? Now she was in her and Andy's room.  
  
"Prue. There you are." Andy exclaimed. "Thank God. I was wondering where you are. The twins need feeding and they're still on the breast."  
  
"Twins?" Prue asked, confused. "What twins?"  
  
Andy shot her a worried look. "Our twins of course. Who else? Are you feeling alright?" He took her hand and led her to the nursery, across the hall. Phoebe was in there, trying to get Grace to go to sleep.  
  
"Oh hi Prue, hi Andy. Grace needs a nap but she won't go to sleep so I thought you'd use the rocker. She's being quiet." Phoebe promised.  
  
"Uh thanks." Prue said, and followed Andy over to the two bassinets in the corner. One was pink and one was blue. Inside were two beautiful babies, a boy and a girl, both crying.  
  
"Go on Prue. Feed them." Andy urged. Phoebe quietly picked up a sleeping Grace and crept out of the room.  
  
Prue stared at the twins in fascination, reached out and picked one up. "Hey!" Prue mumbled. "I'm still here!!"  
  
"Of course you are." Andy said, giving her a strange look.  
  
Prue rolled over, opened her eyes and smiled. 


	5. The Prince and the Princess

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed. A/N: Alright, I'm going to try and make the chapters longer, and as for the dream, well you'll have to wait and see, won't you :p If there's anyone you want to see more let me know (like more Andy/Glen/Wyatt/Grace/Melinda etc.)  
  
*The Prince and the Princess* "Ugh." Prue rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and glanced at the clock on her bedside table. She'd been sleeping for half an hour. "I should probably tell the others about this." She decided, sat up and walked out into the hall.  
  
Wyatt was sitting on the banister with Grace, chewing bubblegum. "Hi Aunt Prue!" He said cheerfully, waving. "Me and Grace are just." he blew a bubble to show what he was doing. "Blowing bubbles."  
  
"I see you forgive her for throwing energy balls at you." Prue noted, and smiled at her nephew. He was such a forgiving little boy. "Paige, Piper, Phoebe! Can I talk to you guys for a sec?" She yelled down the stairs.  
  
It didn't take long before all four sisters were assembled in Prue's room. "Yeah, what's up?" Paige asked, settling herself on the edge of the bed.  
  
"I have something important to tell you. I fell asleep about half an hour ago and I dreamt that every time I tried to go near Wyatt, Grace, Mellie and Paige's new baby I just was zapped into another room or something. Then I was in the nursery and Andy was saying how the twins needed feeding and they were still on breast milk and there were two bassinets, a pink and a blue one. And as I went near them. well I didn't go anywhere. I just woke up. Do you think it means anything?" Prue asked.  
  
"It could." Phoebe said thoughtfully. "I mean having a peek in the future in your dream is definitely possible."  
  
"Except Prue can't get pregnant." Paige pointed out softly. "So how is that possible? Maybe it was just a dream."  
  
"Well there's only one way of finding out." Piper said firmly. "Prue, you've got to take a pregnancy test. It's just a precaution. We should know just in case."  
  
"I guess you're right. Andy and I have been still trying for a baby." Prue trailed off and wondered if Piper could be right.  
  
"That's a tad too graphic for me." Paige said, wrinkling her nose. "Next time spare me the details."  
  
"I did!" Prue protested. "I'm gonna orb down to the drug store and pick one up. They should still be open." She disappeared in a flurry of white lights. Piper watched as she orbed out, and then got up. She still hadn't talked to Leo.  
  
He had just finished changing when she went into their room. "Leo, we need to talk." Leo shot her an apologetic glance.  
  
"I'm sorry Piper but I've got to go. Can we talk later?" His tone was somewhat impatient.  
  
"Where do you need to go?" Piper demanded. "There is no major demon crisis going on as far as I can see!"  
  
"My other charges still have demons to deal with. And sometimes they're inner demons." Leo said defensively. "You don't believe me do you?"  
  
"Leo, I just-"  
  
"I'm sorry but I have to go." He leaned in to kiss her, but she gave him her cheek. Leo shot her an exasperated glance before orbing out. A single tear rolled down Piper's cheek, as she sat on the edge of the bed and picked up a framed photo of them only two years ago. "Why are things the way they are?" Piper whispered. "What happened between us?"  
  
She looked up to see Paige leaning in the doorway, watching her. "Have you asked him those questions yet?" She inquired.  
  
"No." Piper shook her head. "I know his charges are important, but I'm his wife as well as his charge! Don't I count for anything??"  
  
"Of course you do." Paige insisted, stepping inside a bit more and sitting on an armchair. "He's just got a lot on lately."  
  
"I hope you're right." Piper closed her eyes, miserable, then re-opened them, catching sight of the time. "It's nine already? I haven't even put the kids to bed. What kind of mother am I?" She demanded.  
  
"Well Phoebe only finished putting Grace to bed." Paige pointed out.  
  
"Yeah well." Piper mumbled. "I should probably be doing that now." Paige followed her to the hall, where Wyatt was still blowing bubbles. "Spit it out." Piper ordered. Wyatt obliged immediately, not wanting to suffer the wrath of Piper.  
  
Piper herded him to the room he shared with Melinda. Melinda was already in her pajama's, jumping on her bed.  
  
"You know, Leo used to help me do this at eight." Piper said angrily. "He used to be home by four thirty. Now he isn't even home at nine."  
  
"Piper." Paige nodded at Wyatt and Melinda, who were climbing into bed. "I'm sure he has his reasons."  
  
"Oh he has reasons alright. I just want to know if the reasons are true. Or if the reasons have anything to do with whitelighter business." Piper spat, pulling a book off the shelf. She seated herself in the rocking chair and opened it.  
  
Paige hovered in the doorway, before remembering Glen's car had broken down and she was supposed to orb to his work and get him half an hour ago.  
  
Piper began to read as Paige orbed out. "Once there was a Princess, who lived in a beautiful big castle. The princess was also beautiful, with long dark shiny hair. The Prince thought she was beautiful too, because he asked her if she would marry him. The princess said yes, and they fell in love, but the Prince's parents thought the Prince shouldn't marry her, and should find someone else."  
  
Piper glanced up. It was one of Melinda's favorite stories, but Piper rarely heard it, because Leo and her took turns reading each night. Usually Leo read Melinda's favorites, and Piper read Wyatt's, but Leo hadn't been home.  
  
"They stopped the Prince from seeing the Princess, but he visited her secretly anyway. They got married, and the Prince's mother and father, the King and Queen, finally agreed to the Prince marrying her. Years and years passed, and the Prince and Princess were very much in love. They grew old together and had a son, who was seven, and a daughter, who was three. They lived in a new castle with the Princess' sisters and their husbands and children. They all lived happily ever after."  
  
Piper checked on Melinda and Wyatt. Both of them were sound asleep, so she crept out and went to her room. Curling up in a ball on the bed, she shut her eyes to rest for a bit, but the fairy tale kept coming back to her.  
  
'Long dark shiny hair. the Prince shouldn't marry her. find someone else. a son who was seven and a daughter who was three. lived in a new castle with the Princess' sisters and their husbands and children. happily ever after.'  
  
Piper sat up with a gasp. There was no possible way a fairy tale would be able to tell her life story. And besides, the way her and Leo were going she wasn't going to get a happy ending. 


	6. Pancakes and Possible Pregnancies

Disclaimer: Don't. Own. Charmed. Hate. Typing. This.  
  
A/N: Aargh! I'm trying with the longer chapters here! Was chapter five not long enough?! ''= Thoughts  
  
The next morning Piper was up early. It was another beautiful Sunday morning, and for once in the past week, when she rolled over Leo was there.  
  
'This morning will be different.' Piper thought to herself as she got dressed and went downstairs. 'I'll talk to Leo and tell him how I feel. I'll show him the earring, I'll let him smell his shirts prior to the washing machine.'  
  
As she prepared breakfast Prue wondered in, looking exhausted. "Morning Piper. Can I just have black coffee?"  
  
"No way. I'm cooking you a big breakfast, and you're going to sit down and tell me if you're pregnant or not."  
  
"I don't know." Prue said, and sat down. Piper froze.  
  
"What do you mean you don't know? Did you buy it?"  
  
"Yeah I bought it. I just haven't taken it. I'm too scared I'll get my hopes up and then the test will be reading negative, and I don't think I can take that kind of hurt."  
  
"Oh but Prue you'll have Andy, and me and Paige and Phoebe and we'll support you and help you get through it." Piper abandoned her cooking for a moment to put her arm around Prue's shoulders. "And if you are, then that's great news, right?"  
  
"Yeah it is." Prue agreed. "If. If is a small word with a big meaning." Prue slumped down in her seat, and then put her arms on the table and leaned her head on them. Piper shot a worried glance at her sister before turning back to the stove.  
  
Paige and Glen appeared in the doorway, laughing and talking. "Morning all." Glen said with a small wave. He had his arm around Paige's waist and was leading her to a chair. "The pregnant lady sits here." He joked.  
  
"In that case maybe I should swap chairs with-" Paige stopped herself from blurting out anything else. "Alright." She agreed. Glen grinned and took a seat next to her.  
  
"What'll breakfast be this morning?" Paige inquired.  
  
"What'll it be?" Piper repeated from the stove. "I'm cooking up a huge breakfast and everyone is going to sit down and eat it. Everyone includes all whitelighter personnel." She added.  
  
Paige exchanged a glance with Glen. "Alright." Glen said, raising his eyebrows. "Just make sure there's something healthy for Paige."  
  
"Glen you're smothering me." Paige teased. She didn't particularly like it when Glen acted like this - always worried about what she was eating, if she could manage, what she should and shouldn't be doing. It had been sweet but now it was annoying.  
  
"Sorry." Glen gave her an apologetic smile followed closely by puppy dog eyes.  
  
"Okay you two are being cute to the point where it's sickening." Phoebe commented as she walked in. "I mean, I only just walked in and after hearing you from the stairs and onwards I'm ready to walk out."  
  
"Shut up." Paige said with a small smile. "Mind if I go wake the kids up?" She added to Piper and Phoebe.  
  
"Go ahead." Piper said, waving her hand.  
  
"Don't wave your hands Piper. You might blow someone up." Prue warned. She had now sat up.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"I'm going to the bathroom." Prue declared. "To do, uh, something." She added, stretching out the something before coughing.  
  
"Oh! That something!" Phoebe said, widening her eyes. "Well uh, you go do that something and we'll cover for you."  
  
"Is there something I should know about?" Glen asked, raising his eyebrows again and looking at the three remaining sisters, who were all talking about *something.*  
  
"No." Phoebe and Piper both said, and shook their heads. "Stir this for me would you Glen?" Piper added. "I need a bit of help. Phoebe could you crack those eggs?"  
  
Upstairs in her bathroom Prue was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, staring at the home pregnancy test.  
  
"So." Prue said, tears coming to her eyes. "This is it. Andy!" She hollered.  
  
"What." Andy mumbled from their room.  
  
"Come here." Prue called, her eyes not leaving the pregnancy test. "I want to show you this."  
  
A few seconds later Andy came stumbling into the bathroom, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah what - is that what I think it is?"  
  
"If you think it's a pregnancy test, it is."  
  
"But why do you have it? You can't get pregnant." Andy blurted out.  
  
"Well maybe you should see this then." Prue thrust the test at him. "Because it's positive."  
  
[A/N: Should I leave you hanging? Nah.]  
  
"It's positive?" Andy said in disbelief. A smile broke out across his face, stretching from ear to ear. "We're pregnant! You're pregnant!" He cried joyfully, and pulled her off the edge of the tub. "I can't believe this! This is fantastic!"  
  
Prue wiped the tears from her eyes. "I know! I'm so happy I'm crying. Let's go tell the other's." Prue dragged Andy down the kitchen. "I'm pregnant!" She announced.  
  
"You are! Oh honey, that's great!!" Piper cried. "Oh I'm going to be an Aunt again!"  
  
"You're still an Aunt!" Phoebe said defiantly. "Grace, remember?"  
  
Piper ignored her. "LEO!" She yelled at the ceiling. "Get down here!"  
  
Paige came running in with Wyatt, Grace and Melinda following. "I thought there was a demon attack!" Paige panted. "What's going on?"  
  
"I'm pregnant!" Prue laughed happily.  
  
Leo orbed in. "What is it?" He asked, rather annoyed at being woken up. "Why'd you wake me up? I haven't been home to sleep in days."  
  
"I noticed." Piper snapped. "Funny how you leave all night for your clients and you get mad when your wife calls."  
  
"Prue's pregnant." Andy told him before a full-scale fight broke out. "We just found out. Isn't this great?"  
  
"It is, but how is it possible?" Leo asked, running a hand through his hair. "You aren't able to get pregnant."  
  
"I had a dream that I had twins." Prue shrugged. "Maybe it's magic related?"  
  
"I'll check with the elders." Leo promised. "After I've gotten changed I'll go up and ask them about it. It probably has nothing to do with magic though."  
  
"What about breakfast?" Piper asked, disappointed. "I cooked a really big one. It's a celebration Leo. This isn't urgent and you're home for a change. Visiting the bearded men can surely wait."  
  
"Alright." Leo said reluctantly. "I'll go after breakfast."  
  
"Good." Piper said firmly and plastered a smile on her face for the benefit of the children. "So who wants pancakes?" 


	7. Nap Time

Disclaimer: I refuse to type it again!!!  
  
A/N: I just thought I would mention a big thankyou to Katriona who has reviewed me every chapter, and Prupie who has reviewed every one of them except one. It means a lot to me ( In case you were wondering everything occurs up till Sense and Sensibility and then Prue and Andy are sent back (as whitelighters of course.) and Cole comes back again but this time he's good. This is why it's an A/U fic.  
  
*Nap Time*  
  
Wyatt didn't like this part of the day. Neither did Grace. In fact, when you considered it, it was in their opinions, completely pointless.  
  
"Wyatt." Piper plastered a brighter smile on her face. "Why don't you go lie down for a little while?"  
  
"I don't want to nap." He said stubbornly, shaking his head. Phoebe was counting to five while trying to coax Grace into a nap and Melinda was already in a coma-like sleep. She could sleep like a log. In fact, she was probably the only kid in the entire world who liked naps. Sleep and Melinda seemed to go hand in hand.  
  
"It's not a nap." Piper insisted. "It's just lying down. You know. Resting your feet. Resting your big strong muscles. Resting your back."  
  
"No."  
  
"You get to see some really good movies." Piper added. "For free."  
  
"Mom I know you're talking about dreams and not movies. It's not going to work."  
  
"Wyatt just lie down. Maybe if you lie down long enough you'll be able to draw me a picture of what the insides of your eyelids look like?" Piper suggested. She hated tricking Wyatt but it was the only way.  
  
"Mom I'm not Mellie. I don't just fall into a coma." Wyatt objected.  
  
"Wyatt Matthew Halliwell." Piper frowned. "Young man, you lie down on that couch and close your eyes right now!" Wyatt lay down and shut his eyes. Every now and then he opened them a bit. Piper watched him till he began emitting authentic little-boy snores.  
  
"That young man really seems to work." Glen commented. Piper looked up and realized he had just walked in.  
  
"It certainly does the trick. It worked on Grace. Except she was called young lady."  
  
Glen chuckled. "So I would assume." He studied her. "You look tired Piper."  
  
"I know. I barely got any sleep last night."  
  
"Why don't you get some sleep then? You might as well take this opportunity of silence to rest. If one of the kids wake up the rest of us are still around and they're bound to wake you up too."  
  
"Yeah, alright." Piper agreed, and lay down on the couch. Oddly enough all the kids chose to sleep on the floor.  
  
Glen waited till he was sure she was sound asleep, and smiled. "Alright. Paige?"  
  
Paige grinned at him. "Thanks Glen." She motioned for Phoebe and Prue, who were waiting just out of sight. "Okay, come in."  
  
The three surrounded the sleeping Piper and linked hands. "The spell?" Prue asked Paige pointedly.  
  
"Oh right. Sorry." Paige mumbled. Sometimes she still felt overshadowed by Prue after all of these years.  
  
"That's okay." Prue smiled at her, sensing how she felt.  
  
"Alright, um, I'll read it first and then you can repeat it with me." Paige cleared her throat and began reading.  
  
"The happy couple cannot be  
  
Till you decide if you'll set him free  
  
So while you dream you will see  
  
Whether or not it was meant to be." The three repeated the spell several times as golden orbs of light, similar to the whitelighter orbs appeared in golden threads and wrapped themselves around Piper.  
  
"One down." Phoebe remarked, satisfied. "One to go."  
  
Prue snorted. "Like we're going to get Leo to fall asleep. He's rarely home, let alone sleeping."  
  
"Well I've fixed that." Paige replied. "I, uh, drugged his coffee." Phoebe and Prue's mouths practically hit the floor.  
  
"You drugged our whitelighter? Paige! What if a demon comes?"  
  
"We have two and a half whitelighters still awake, remember?" Paige rolled her eyes. "Now let's go. He should be in the conservatory, snoring like a baby."  
  
The three sisters and Glen trooped into the conservatory. As predicted, Leo was fast asleep. Prue, Phoebe and Paige linked hands around him and recited the same spell, except for him being her and he being she.  
  
"Now what?" Paige asked, as they let go of each other's hands and made their way to the kitchen.  
  
"Now what?" Prue repeated. "Now we wait."  
  
Paige pouted. "I hate waiting."  
  
"Paige, nobody likes waiting." Phoebe said with an amused smile.  
  
"What if they get woken up halfway through their dreams?" Prue asked, worried.  
  
"Well Leo's been drugged, and Piper might as well be in a coma." Paige said with a shrug. "You haven't got a lot to worry about."  
  
"I suppose. let's talk about Prue's pregnancy!" Phoebe said excitedly, happy to be an Aunt again. Paige cleared her throat pointedly. "And yours too." Phoebe added quickly.  
  
"I really do wonder how I got pregnant." Prue murmured. "It's a mystery."  
  
"Magic will never cease to amaze me." 


	8. Piper's Dream

Disclaimer: I do not own Charmed, or any of the characters EXCEPT for Grace, Melinda and Wyatt (well he's grown up now, so he's different right? He's not a baby, and he has a personality. RIGHT?)  
  
A/N: Phoebe is ditzy and self-centered in this chapter to help with the proceedings of the dream. If you've got anything against that, maybe you should just read the word 'Phoebe' as 'Dream-Phoebe' for this chapter? Thanks for reviewing, and Snowbunny, I don't think it will be angst but I'll consider. :p I also fixed the first chapter (Arguments) so that it's spaced correctly, and soon the fic will revolve more around demons as well, as I said in the summary there IS something evil going on. Prue's pregnancy will be explained in later chapters. Please review!  
  
Piper's Dream  
  
"Piper?" Phoebe yelled. Piper rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and sat up. She was sitting in her bedroom. Or at least, it looked like her bedroom. sort of. For one thing, the bed wasn't queen sized anymore; it was just a regular double bed, and all the furniture was different. There were no pictures of her and Leo, although many of her and the children, some of them at events she didn't recall going to at all.  
  
"Yeah?" She called back groggily. "What is it?" The door opened and a tired looking Phoebe appeared.  
  
"Sweetie I know things have been hard lately, but really, think about what's happening to Wyatt and Mellie! This affects them too. I mean, the divorce was tough, but you'll get through it. I know I did, and you know it is for the best. I've never been better since I split up with Cole. I'm sure you'll feel the same way too in a matter of days. Although, you have been moping for a few months, which is kind of strange considering right after the divorce you were like a brick wall."  
  
Piper cleared her throat. "Um, Phoebe? Firstly, you look like hell, and secondly, what the heck are you talking about?"  
  
"I look like hell?" Phoebe squealed indignantly. "Look at yourself!" Piper sat up and looked at herself in the mirror. What Phoebe said was true: she had bags under her eyes; her hair was limp and oily. Her complexion was blotchy, and her eyes were bloodshot and red rimmed.  
  
"Thanks." Piper said dryly. "And why do you look like that if I'm divorced?" She added, figuring she was dreaming.  
  
"Because Paige and I: yes Snow White looks like me too, have been taking care of your affairs." Phoebe complained. "I mean I know it's tough, but you were divorced five months ago Piper!"  
  
"I was?" Piper blinked. "Oh. Well, thanks."  
  
There was a squeal as someone ran past the bedroom. Piper blinked again. "Melinda?" She called. "Melinda?"  
  
A small girl with blonde hair in two plaits, stripy purple leggings, denim overall dress and a white long sleeved shirt wandered in. "Mommy! You're up!" She exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, I guess I am." Piper agreed. "Let's go downstairs."  
  
Phoebe shot her a weird look. "Are you sure you're up to it Piper?"  
  
"Of course." Piper said lightly. "I mean it's only a floor down."  
  
"Yeah but when was the last time you walked anywhere but the bathroom?" Phoebe asked. Piper glanced at herself in the mirror. She looked the same, apart from her face and hair. She hadn't gained any weight or lost any either.  
  
Piper ignored her and climbed out of bed. Opening the door she started down the hallway, and down the stairs. Her legs felt a little wobbly, but other than that things were normal. Melinda and Phoebe followed her. Piper shot a glance at the photos that usually hung on the wall above the staircase. All the pictures of Leo were gone, and had been replaced: Phoebe and Grace, Paige and Glen, Prue, Wyatt and Melinda all wearing party hats and Melinda blowing out four pink and purple candles.  
  
"Hey." She exclaimed, and stopped. "Where was this?" She tapped the glass with a long fingernail.  
  
"Melinda's fourth birthday." Phoebe said quietly. "You were sick in bed, and a demon came right before the children did. Aren't we lucky we still had the Power of Three?"  
  
"Yeah." Piper said sadly, studying the photo. "Where was this?" She asked, pointing to a photo of her and Wyatt.  
  
"Picnic. That was only a month ago, you mean you don't remember?"  
  
"No." Piper said, studying the photo. She was smiling, but it looked forced and didn't quiet reach her eyes. "Let's go." She said quickly, wanting to get away from all the things she'd missed out on.  
  
"Aunt Piper!"  
  
"Mom!" Wyatt and Grace crowded her at the bottom of the staircase. "How are you feeling today? Were we being too loud? I was trying to give Grace a paper cut so I could heal it. I think I'm getting the hang of the healing thing. I mean I could do it before, but now I can do it all the time. Not just in a crisis." Wyatt beamed.  
  
Piper blinked. Wyatt was so grown up! "That's great sweetie. Where's dad-" She cut herself off, but not quickly enough.  
  
"Piper!" Phoebe said, sounding protective. "They get. upset, when you mention a certain person who starts with L."  
  
"Uncle Leo." Grace said promptly.  
  
Phoebe shot Grace a look, as Melinda burst into tears and Wyatt tried his hardest not to. "I miss daddy!" Melinda wailed.  
  
"I'm sorry Mellie." Piper murmured, scooping her up. "I'm sorry." As Melinda's sobs subsided, Phoebe glared at Grace again.  
  
"Grace I thought that your teachers remarks on your report would teach you some." Phoebe drew Grace aside and began having words with her.  
  
"Where's your report Wyatt?" Piper asked her son, who had calmed down.  
  
"I'll get it." He mumbled, and shuffled out of the room. He came back in, still scuffling his shoes on the floor.  
  
"Don't do that." Piper said, opening the envelope and pulling out the report. She frowned. "Wyatt, what's all this? Fighting with other children, being rude to little girls? Your grades have gone down too."  
  
"Haven't." He said, annoyed.  
  
"Phoebe?" Piper asked, showing her the report. "His grades have gone down."  
  
"Well actually that's been his average for the past five months." Phoebe pointed out. "I guess you just haven't seen his reports."  
  
"Oh." Piper nodded. "I see."  
  
Phoebe studied her face. "You miss him Piper, don't you?" She asked, as Grace, Melinda and Wyatt all went in separate directions.  
  
"Miss who?"  
  
"Leo. I hear you cry at night." Phoebe said quietly.  
  
"I do miss him." Piper said, and sat down on the bottom step. "I've missed him before the divorce too." She added, so Phoebe wouldn't think she was insane when she started spilling her guts. "He was never home then, and when he was he was distant."  
  
"Well at least he wasn't cheating on you." Phoebe said helpfully.  
  
"He wasn't?"  
  
"No, remember? A lot of his charges were female, thus the perfume, and the earring was his grandmother's? Remember? It somehow got into the hands of one of his charges who got it from her mother, who got it from her mother and so on. The other earring was lost centuries ago."  
  
"I see." Piper said faintly. "So why did we get divorced?"  
  
Phoebe shrugged. "Beats me. I mean, he explained everything and all but you seem to think he's never home. Although I think that it was pretty reasonable considering that he was going through hard times remembering his family and thought you weren't there for him and so spent a lot of time with his charge to find out more. But that could just be me." She added.  
  
"Really?" Piper muttered. "I see."  
  
A few minutes later, Piper woke up. 


	9. Leo's Dream

A/N: REVIEW! DARN IT! If you don't review this chapter, I swear I will not post another chapter!  
  
Leo's Dream  
  
Leo looked around and blinked. What was he doing up in the Heavens? He hadn't orbed there had he??  
  
"Leo, there you are." A whitelighter hurried over to him. "Everything is going insane. Go to your charge!" She ordered.  
  
"My charge?" Leo asked, and the next thing he knew, he was orbing. "Oh. Piper. Or Phoebe. Possibly Paige." Leo said aloud as he found himself in the Manor.  
  
"Dad, where have you been? Oh you have to come quick!" A tall, very pretty girl raced into the room, looking frantic. Terror was etched across her face, her blonde hair was in a messy knot on her head and she was trying her hardest not to cry.  
  
"Melinda?"  
  
"Of course it's me, I know I must look like I've been in an Earthquake but surely you'd recognize me? Wyatt's been hurt and I can't seem to heal him, I think it's because I'm too." She waved a hand in the air, lost for words.  
  
"Slow down. Where is he?" Leo asked, trying to figure out what Melinda had been saying. She was speaking at the speed of light, and it was hard to understand.  
  
"In here." Melinda led him to the kitchen, where Wyatt lay on the floor, blood oozing from him. The place was a mess, but Leo ignored it and focused. A golden glow appeared, and Wyatt got up, rather groggy.  
  
"Dad! Oh god dad they killed Aunt Phoebe!"  
  
"What? Who's they?" Leo demanded. "What's going on?"  
  
"There's no time to waste. Dad I know you don't want to, but we have to contact mom, they're after her next. They got Aunt Prue and Uncle Andy, they blackmailed some darklighter and now." Wyatt trailed off.  
  
"Where's Paige?"  
  
"They took her as captive, to lure mom I think." Wyatt ran a hand through his curly blonde hair, much like his father's.  
  
"Who is they?" Leo demanded.  
  
"Stop acting stupid!" Melinda wailed. "Uncle Cole is missing and Grace is upstairs at the Book of Shadows, now let's get moving!" The three orbed up to the attic, where a pretty dark haired teenager was flipping through the book of shadows.  
  
"I can't find anything." Grace complained. "Uncle Leo can't we go up to the heavens? Please? We're not safe."  
  
"We can't, we've got to save mom." Snapped Wyatt. "They'll go after her. And then they'll kill Aunt Paige, and then they'll kill her kids, and they'll kill Aunt Prue's."  
  
"Stop saying that!" Grace shouted. "I hate that word!'  
  
"Come on." Melinda put her arm around Grace. "This isn't helping. Without a power of three we're going doomed."  
  
Leo watched in awe as Grace, Melinda and Wyatt scanned the Book of Shadows.  
  
"That's it!" He said, snapping his fingers. "You three are the power of three. It almost makes sense. Except for Wyatt being a boy and Grace being a cousin. But it could work." He reasoned.  
  
"I don't see why not." Agreed Melinda. "But can we get into contact with mum first?"  
  
"Melinda you can't barge into a mental hospital." Wyatt snapped.  
  
"Mental hospital?" Leo asked faintly.  
  
"Uh huh?" Melinda gave him a strange look. "Mom went crazy when you got divorced, remember?"  
  
"Erm, yes." Leo lied, while thinking. Piper had gone crazy because they got divorced and the Power of Three had broken up?  
  
"Dad there's no time to daydream." Melinda said edgily. "Someone could burst in here and kill us all any minute."  
  
"Alright." Leo strode over to the Book of Shadows, but not before he woke up. 


	10. Mice Are Your Friends

A/N: Thanks for FINALLY reviewing. (In case you hadn't noticed, which I'll assume you hadn't, I haven't been posting new chapters until I get reviews. So I will keep the threat of no new chapters till I get reviews. Sorry but you're evil to leave me without them ^_^) This chapter will be especially long as it's totally committed to the kiddies.  
  
*Mice Are Your Friends*  
  
"I just had the weirdest dream." Leo commented as he walked into the living room. Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Prue were all sitting on the couch drinking coffee.  
  
"You too?" Piper asked, and smiled at him. She was sure there was something in her dream that was true, and she was sure it was the part where he wasn't cheating on her. After all if Prue found out things from a dream, couldn't Piper found out things from hers? Such as if she had a cheating husband?  
  
"Yeah, it was weird." Leo said, nodding. He looked up at the ceiling and groaned. "I've got to-"  
  
"I know." Piper smiled at him and nodded. "Can we talk later? There's been some, uh, sudden revelations." Leo nodded and then orbed out. In the kitchen there was a loud crash.  
  
"MOMMY!" Melinda was heard screaming. "Mo-o-o-o-o-m-my!"  
  
Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Prue all got up and ran for the kitchen. "What is it?" Piper cried, running to the kitchen, where Melinda was standing at the sink.  
  
"Mommy there's a MOUSE!" Melinda shrieked, scandalized.  
  
"A mouse? Mellie you scared me half to death, where is this mouse?"  
  
"It ran aw-ay!" Melinda sobbed.  
  
Paige, Phoebe and Prue stifled laughter while Piper gathered Melinda up in her arms. Piper shot a look at Paige, Phoebe and Prue. "Could you guys set the mouse traps?"  
  
Melinda looked at Piper, horrified. "Mommy, you can't set mouse traps! You'll hurt it!" She wailed.  
  
"No I won't Mellie, we're using the sticky traps not the snappy traps. Now where did the mouse go?" Melinda pouted, and then sniffled, before pointing at the fridge. "Behind there."  
  
"Come on, I'll make you some hot chocolate." Piper soothed. Melinda brightened immediately. "Okay!" Piper carried Melinda over to the stove, where she put the kettle on.  
  
"Mommy did the mouse run away because it didn't like me? I just wanted to play with it because Wyatt and Gracie are at school." Melinda explained. "Is that why it ran away?"  
  
"No sweetie, that's not why. Of course it likes you." Piper said, trying to hide a smile as she took the kettle off and opened a packet of hot chocolate.  
  
"Besides, you don't want to play with mice anyway, they're not very clean. They don't take baths." Piper added.  
  
Melinda gave Piper a disbelieving, 'yeah right' look, before taking a sip of the hot chocolate Piper handed her. "Hot." She mumbled.  
  
"That's why it's called hot chocolate." Piper said, rolling her eyes, although typically her sarcasm was lost on a three year old. Piper poured some more milk in while Phoebe and Paige looked for the mouse and Prue looked for cheese.  
  
Prue closed the fridge and took a piece of sandwich cheese out of its wrapper. Pulling a small piece off, she walked over to where Phoebe and Paige were. They had decided to put a trap next to the fridge, and were now trying to set it without sticking to it. Prue snorted with laughter.  
  
"Quite done yet?" She said, with an amused smirk.  
  
"Uh." Phoebe wrenched her hand off the sticky trap. "Almost." She pulled back the lever. "Okay put the cheese there." The cheese stuck immediately. "Piper, won't this um, K-I-L-L the mouse?" She called out, spelling out kill in front of Melinda.  
  
"No it will just. pin it there." Piper said hopefully. "The whole point of the stick is to keep it there. That little. thing there." Piper looked at the lever, which, on usual mousetraps, killed them. "Is kind of different from normal. I think it just, you know? Pins it there."  
  
"If you insist." Phoebe replied. "But if you're wrong."  
  
"I'm not going to be the one cleaning up mouse." Paige finished.  
  
Piper rolled her eyes and carried Melinda into the next room, with the other three following her. Not even half an hour later there was a snap.  
  
"Mommy I think your trap worked." Melinda announced.  
  
"Okay, let's go check. I'll go first in case it's. messy." She shot another look at Melinda, before venturing into the kitchen. "Okay, all clear and we have ourselves a mouse." She called.  
  
Piper, Prue, Phoebe and Melinda followed Paige into the kitchen. Just as she'd said, the mouse was squirming in its trap and emitting pitiful squeaks.  
  
Piper pulled on a pair of rubber dishwashing gloves, before gingerly picked the trap up between her index and thumb. The mouse squealed, if possible, even louder.  
  
"Okay so what are you going to do with it?" Asked Paige, looking at the small brown mouse while holding onto Melinda's hand. "Put it outside of course. In the B-I-N." Piper replied, and began to hurry outside, with the others following her. She opened the lid of the bin and dropped the mouse in hesitantly.  
  
"M-O-O-O-O-O-M-M-Y!" Melinda wailed. "You can't do that to him!"  
  
"Why not?" Piper asked, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
"The mouse is my friend!" Melinda cried. "Mommy can't we keep it? In a cage or something?"  
  
Prue, Phoebe and Paige all snorted with laughter. Piper glared at them, then turned to Melinda, who was trying to see into the rubbish bin, but was only half the size of it. "No sweetie we can't. It's dirty." Piper said firmly, peering into the bin herself. The mouse was squeaking pitifully, obviously aware it would meet it's death of starvation at some point.  
  
"But mommy!" Melinda began to cry. Piper quickly scooped her up and carried her inside while Paige shut the lid of the bin and exchanged a knowing glance with their next-door neighbor, who had been watching with an amused smile.  
  
A few hours later Piper heard the door close. She looked up from the TV to see Wyatt and Grace walking in.  
  
"Mom, why is Melinda running loose outside?" Wyatt asked.  
  
"Wyatt don't refer to Melinda like she's an animal. What do you mean by running loose?" Piper added.  
  
"Well not running loose. She's jumping up and down by the rubbish bin." Grace explained, dropping her pink and red school bag on the floor, before going back outside.  
  
Piper glanced at Wyatt. "Did she say anything strange?" Piper asked.  
  
"She did mention something about her friend. But no magic things." Wyatt said quickly.  
  
"I wasn't talking about magic, but good." Piper got up and hurried outside, with Wyatt at her heels.  
  
Just as Grace had said, Melinda was jumping by the rubbish bin, which was now open. Grace was also there, looking into it, and looking rather tearful.  
  
"Auntie Piper!" She wailed. "How could you do that to him?"  
  
"Grace, Melinda let's go back inside." Piper said, glancing at their neighbor, who was still outside and watching while trying to hold back laughter. 


	11. Batteries Not Included

A/N: The dream sequences do kind of tell the truth, what with the whole baby thing and the reason Leo has been acting strange, but they don't play a major role. I know we're up to chapter 11 (!) already, and there should be some sort of evil plot coming into play ^_^ but I can't bring myself to do it!! Oh well I'll try!  
  
*Batteries Not Included* After rounding up Melinda, Wyatt and Grace, Piper led them all inside and shut the door, very firmly behind her.  
  
"No more going outside." She told them. "Until tomorrow." Tomorrow was garbage day, and Piper couldn't wait.  
  
The door closed and Phoebe walked in. After setting mousetraps she'd gone to her office to collect mail.  
  
"Hi Piper, hi Mellie. Hi Wyatt. Hey Gracie." Phoebe ruffled Grace's hair. "Do you have homework?" Grace nodded. "Want help?" Grace nodded again and Phoebe led her into the kitchen, where they set up camp.  
  
Phoebe opened her laptop and was opening a letter when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" Grace announced, and rushed out of the room. It wasn't long before she returned, holding onto Cole's hand.  
  
"Cole." Phoebe said, trying to mask her annoyance. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I thought I'd take Grace and the kids out." Cole said with a shrug.  
  
"Grace has homework." Phoebe said testily.  
  
"But mom!" Grace protested. "I hardly get to see dad!"  
  
"Grace, don't argue with me." Phoebe told her. Sometimes Grace could be an angel, but she had a wild streak, and a temper worse than any of the other kids. "Cole I am the one with the custody here and we agreed that you would only see her twice a month." Phoebe said angrily. "And extra on birthdays and Christmas."  
  
"Well Phoebe in case you forgot, I have been a lawyer." Cole snapped. "And so I think I would know the rights I have here. I am her father and we have to make decisions together, whether you like it or not."  
  
"Mom stop making a fuss!" Grace complained. "I wanna go with dad! Wyatt and Mellie can come too, I don't care."  
  
"Grace, please be quiet." Phoebe said, not looking at her. "Cole, get out! You're not welcome in this house."  
  
"Grace let me in and she is a member of the household. Therefore I am her guest." Cole said loftily.  
  
"Grace is a child!"  
  
"I'm six years old!" Grace protested. "I'm practically a grown-up!"  
  
"Exactly." Cole agreed. He still had a hold of her hand.  
  
"Cole-" Phoebe was cut off as both Cole and Grace shimmered out. "Oh great." Phoebe muttered.  
  
"Trouble?" Paige asked, wondering in.  
  
"You have no idea." Phoebe complained. "Cole just kidnapped Grace!! One minute I'm arguing with him the next minute they shimmer out."  
  
"Oh that's harsh." Paige agreed. "Got any idea of where they are?"  
  
"Well he wanted to take her out. So they can't be at the penthouse." Phoebe said thoughtfully. "Where would you take a six year old?"  
  
"Um either the zoo." Paige took a shiny red apple from the fridge, rinsed it under the tap, before biting into it. "Or maybe the toy store. I mean Cole spoils her rotten. When I've picked her up from there. whoa. The place is spotless till you go into the room Grace stays in and you see piles of toys. No wonder she likes Cole so much - apart from the fact he's her father of course."  
  
"The toy store! Of course! Grace wanted a new Barbie doll. Think you can orb me?"  
  
"I got nothing better to do." Paige agreed, and grabbed Phoebe's hand.  
  
A moment later they were in a deserted alley behind the toy store. "Come on." Phoebe dragged Paige into the store, and led her to the lit up, pink isles of Barbie's. Just as Phoebe had thought, Cole and Grace were shopping for Barbie's.  
  
Phoebe strode up to them and glared at Cole. "How dare you abduct my daughter?" She demanded, taking Grace's hand. "I could have you arrested for that!"  
  
"Except I'm her father." Cole said angrily. Grace turned to Phoebe, defiant and clutching a giant box of Barbie doll clothing.  
  
"Cole how dare you-" There was a flash and suddenly Phoebe found herself on the floor. The entire store was pitch black and eerily silent. "Cole." She muttered angrily. "If you think for one second that you can pull a fancy trick and-"  
  
"Phoebe shut up." Cole snapped. "It wasn't me, okay?"  
  
Phoebe ignored him. "Paige? Grace? Are you alright?"  
  
"Fine, I think." Paige mumbled. "Am I the only one who was thrown to the floor?"  
  
"No." Cole replied grimly. "Must have been some kind of power surge."  
  
"Only a power surge doesn't contain a force to knock you to the floor." Phoebe argued. "So it must have been something else too."  
  
"Look Phoebe-" Cole began, annoyed.  
  
"Can you two stop bickering for five seconds while we figure this out?" Paige interrupted.  
  
Phoebe sighed. "Okay then I say we wait till the store managers turn the power back on." Paige thought for a moment.  
  
"Isn't it a little strange we're the only ones talking in a giant store full of children and adults, and nobody is even making the slightest whisper?" She asked.  
  
"Hold that thought." Cole told her. "I'm going outside to check out what's going on." There was a scuffle, and he shimmered out.  
  
"So now we're the only ones left." Phoebe sighed. "Might as well keep quiet then. It's weird talking when everyone else is so silent."  
  
"I don't know why I didn't think of this before. I'll just orb a torch or something into my hand." Paige suggested, ignoring what Phoebe told her to do.  
  
"No way, even if we are in the middle of a blackout there are still people around. They'll see the orbs." Phoebe muttered.  
  
Paige sighed. "If you insist. Where's Cole?"  
  
"Not sure. Knowing him he probably couldn't find the power box." Phoebe couldn't help but add. Paige rolled her eyes in the darkness. "Who's foot am I sitting on? Is that yours Grace?"  
  
"No that's mine." Phoebe said, wriggling it. "Please get off it."  
  
"Okay. Where is Grace anyway?"  
  
"Oh when I fell she was right next to me. She's probably just being quiet. Gracie, speak up honey."  
  
There was not a word from Grace however.  
  
"Um Phoebe, knowing Grace she would have said something by now. Grace?"  
  
"She probably wondered into another isle." Phoebe said nervously.  
  
"That's it. Grace." Paige ordered. "Oh come on I've orbed humans around before. GRACE!"  
  
"Nothing's happening." Phoebe said, now frantic. "Try the torch then."  
  
"Torch." Paige ordered. A torch orbed into her hand, and Paige took it out of its wrapper, and clicked it on. "Wait a second. batteries not included." Paige groaned.  
  
"Oh great." Phoebe muttered. "Well orb us out then. We'll find a torch and get back here ASAP."  
  
"What about Cole?"  
  
"What about him?" Phoebe asked impatiently, and grabbed Paige's hand, before they orbed out. 


	12. Missing

A/N: Dern… dern dern…. I hope that left you in suspense :p  
  
*Missing*  
  
In a flurry of lights Phoebe and Paige arrived in the hallway. "Okay so where are the torches?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"You've lived here longer, how should I know?" Paige asked, throwing her hands up in despair.  
  
"Well you re-arranged everything." Phoebe pointed out, as they hurried to the kitchen. "Okay here we go." She pulled a torch out of the cabinet.  
  
"Now what? Should we orb back there?" Paige asked.  
  
"Well the power might be back on." Phoebe said hesitantly. "Do they have bathrooms in toy stores?"  
  
"No." Paige said, thinking hard. "Um…"  
  
"Hi guys." Prue said, after orbing in. "Where's Piper? I have something important to tell you."  
  
"If it involves power-failures." Paige said sourly, looking at the fan that was still whirring overhead. "Then we know."  
  
"Power failures?" Prue asked, confused. "No I was going to tell you something the elders wanted me to pass on because Leo's busy. But it doesn't involve power failures? Seriously, where's Piper?"  
  
"Alright go ahead." Phoebe said, clutching the torch.  
  
"There's some kind of demon on the loose. Apparently he's after the Power of Three and he's already attacked and gotten one. That's why I really need to know. Where's Piper?"  
  
The three exchanged glances. "Piper! Piper? Pi-per!"  
  
"Okay this is not good." Prue mumbled when there was no reply.  
  
"Well I still have to get back to the toy store. I left Grace behind." Phoebe said nervously. "I mean she's six years old in a huge-"  
  
"I'm sure Cole will get back to her. Right now we have to find Piper." Paige told her, putting an arm around her. "I know you're scared but the sooner we find Piper the sooner we can get Grace. I bet Cole is with her by now."  
  
"Alright." Phoebe agreed. "Should we split up? It's the fastest way."  
  
"Well if there's a demon lurking…"  
  
"It's the fastest way." Phoebe repeated. "Okay then. I'll take upstairs." Prue said, thinking hard. "Phoebe you take the attic, Paige you take downstairs."  
  
"Got it." Paige nodded and began walking around. Prue orbed upstairs and Phoebe started up the stairs, however the search came up with nothing – not a sign of Piper, Melinda or Wyatt.  
  
"Okay so now what?" Asked Paige.  
  
"We get Grace. If Piper and the others aren't here then we have to find them yes, but I am not waiting another minute longer." Phoebe said, putting her hand on Prue's shoulder. "Orb me please."  
  
"Alright." Prue and Paige orbed to an alley behind the toy store, where they found Cole trying to fiddle with the electrical system.  
  
"I don't know anything about this stuff." He said, annoyed.  
  
"Cole, Grace is missing." Phoebe said frantically. "She wasn't in the toy store."  
  
"What?" Cole shimmered away, and the three sisters ran to the front of the store and opened the door. It was still pitch black but Paige turned the torches on. The place was deserted.  
  
"Cole?" Prue called.  
  
"Yeah?" Cole appeared. "I can't find her either. This can't be good."  
  
"Piper, Melinda and Wyatt are all gone too." Paige added, frowning.  
  
"I'll check to see if Leo knows where they are." Paige announced, and orbed out.  
  
Prue turned to Cole and Phoebe as they left the empty store. "If you were Piper, where would you go?" She asked.  
  
"I don't know." Cole shrugged. "You're her sister."  
  
Prue rolled her eyes, and muttered something under her breath. "We'll split up. I'll check P3, Phoebe…" Prue began to give out directions. "You scry for her and call her on her cell. Cole… you check the Underworld for any news of a captured Charmed one." She ordered.  
  
Phoebe nodded. "Could someone… get me back?" She asked, looking at the two of them. Cole grabbed her arm. "I'll drop you off on the way." He said, before shimmering out.  
  
Prue orbed out, leaving the empty toy store behind. She arrived at an equally empty club, which was not surprising considering it was four thirty in the afternoon.  
  
"Piper?" She called as she walked around. The place was empty out back as well. "Pi-per?" Prue sighed as she took out her phone and called home. It took a few rings before there was an answer.  
  
"Hello?" She asked.  
  
"Phoebe it's me, Prue. Have you got anything yet?" Phoebe walked back to the attic with the cordless phone. "Nope. Though I haven't tried scrying yet."  
  
"Alright." Prue said with a nod. "Call me if you get anything." 


	13. A Discovery

A/N: Katriona, I'm not sure what's happening with the quotations. and darn, only one reviewer! Seriously guys, if you want more, REVIEW ME! Oh yeah, once again this story is set after Sense and Sensibility, only instead of all the stuff in the series it changes and becomes this story years later ^_^  
  
*A discovery*  
  
"Come on Piper, where are you?" Phoebe muttered. "Surely you have to be somewhere."  
  
The front door slammed, and Phoebe's ears prickled with hope. "Piper? Is that you?" She called.  
  
Prue orbed into the room. "No, it's only me." She said, and then frowned. "You know, I'm so glad we have new neighbors, seeing as the old ones know I'm dead."  
  
"Uh huh." Phoebe nodded, as another figure orbed into the attic. It was Paige.  
  
"Hi." Paige announced.  
  
"Paige!" Prue exclaimed. "Do you know where Piper, Melinda, Wyatt or Grace are?"  
  
"No." Paige frowned. "I can't find Leo and the Elders are in some meeting thing. They won't talk to anyone."  
  
"That can't be right." Phoebe said, frustrated. "You know, I'm still not getting anything? Piper must have disappeared off the face of the earth. Either that or she's in the underworld. Speaking of, where is Cole? He was supposed to be reporting back."  
  
"Well I'm sure he'll be here-"  
  
Cole shimmered in. "Hi all. Sorry I'm late."  
  
"Any news of Piper or the kids?"  
  
Cole nodded. "Uh-uh and uh-huh. I haven't heard anything on Piper, but I've heard a whole ton on the kids." Cole ran a hand through his brown hair, making it slightly disheveled.  
  
"So, what's the low-down?" Prue said impatiently. "I want them back!"  
  
Cole gave her a LOOK. The two had never gotten on anyway. "It's bad." He exhaled slowly.  
  
Prue, Phoebe and Paige glared at him. "You don't say?" Paige muttered sarcastically.  
  
Cole looked at them all again, which shut them up. "Well from what I've heard Melinda, Wyatt and my Grace-" Phoebe coughed pointedly. "Our Grace," Cole said, rolling his eyes, "are going to be the power of three when they get old enough."  
  
"What? That can't be right! Well, technically it can, but they aren't all related! And they aren't all girls! Nothing against men or anything but." Prue trailed off.  
  
"This. Is. Not. Right." Paige said, gritting her teeth. "I'm going back up. Maybe I can find-" She was cut off as Leo and Andy orbed in.  
  
"There you are!" Cried Phoebe. "Leo, Cole's heard that the kids are going to be the next Power of Three."  
  
"He's right." Leo said. He looked exhausted. "And that's not all either."  
  
"What now?" Groaned Phoebe. "I don't think I can handle anymore. And not to sound shallow, but I'm supposed to be meeting Jason tonight. I know it's not for another few hours but you know how it is. Don't get me wrong. I'm terrified that Grace has to go through this. I mean it was expected but."  
  
Paige gave her an understanding look while Cole and Prue rolled their eyes. "Continue please Leo." Prue said pointedly, looking at Phoebe and Paige.  
  
"Well Prue, I have bad news. For you and Paige. It's about the babies-"  
  
"Uh-uh. No!" Paige cried. "Why us?"  
  
"Why me?" Phoebe replied, looking more upset than a few moments ago.  
  
"Well if it has anything to do with the baby Glen has to be here." Paige said stubbornly.  
  
"Fine! Go! Orb him in!"  
  
Paige orbed out, and orbed back a minute later with Glen, who looked confused. "What's going on?" He asked. "What's this about the baby?"  
  
"As I was saying." Leo cleared his throat. "Prue, the Elders have confirmed you're having twins."  
  
"Well that's good right?" Prue asked. Andy strode over to her quickly and put his arm around her protectively, while Glen did the same to Paige.  
  
"It depends on how you look at it. There's going to be another crazy Power of Three mix up. The twins and Paige's child will be the Power of Three. As well."  
  
"That makes no sense. How can there be two Power of Three's in the same generation?" Paige asked, frowning.  
  
"That's just it. It makes no sense."  
  
"Is it really predictable who the next Power of Three is?" Glen asked, raising his eyebrow.  
  
"It can be. In this case it's pretty clear who it will be. Halliwells. Again."  
  
"Okay, let me point out the ways that is twisted and wrong." Paige said, clearing her throat. "Number one. Grace is half demon. I've heard of half white lighter, but demons are evil?"  
  
"Hey!" Cole protested.  
  
"Don't you protest at me Cole Turner. Not only did you turn evil, you tried to kill me several times." Paige pointed out, without skipping a beat. "Secondly, it can't seriously be two sets? Thirdly, both sets are in the Halliwell family? I'm not-"  
  
"I think we get the picture." Andy said with a small smile.  
  
"Well before we worry about that, we have to find the kids. And we have to find your darling wife." Prue told Leo. "And we have to find them soon." 


	14. Hell Freezes Over?

A/N: I don't know what's going on with the quotations. I'll try putting ' instead of '. How's that sound?? Oh yeah, I changed it so anonymous readers can review, I didn't realize it was turned off.  
  
*Hell Freezes Over.?*  
  
'Ugh! That is it! I'm getting so frustrated! If I scry another minute my hands will fall off!!' Prue said, dropping the crystal on the map.  
  
'I don't know why we didn't think of this before? But we could try and summon Piper and the kids.' Suggested Phoebe.  
  
'It's worth a try. Lucky we still have the Power of Three.' Prue agreed, getting up and walking over to where Phoebe stood at the Book of Shadows. 'PAIGE!' Prue called. Paige waddled into the attic from where she had been resting in her own room.  
  
'Don't yell at the pregnant woman.' She complained.  
  
'You yell at me.' Prue pointed out.  
  
'Yeah but are you six months pregnant yet?' Paige asked, as she made her way slowly to where they stood.  
  
'I can think of a few spells. Umm.' Phoebe made a face. 'Well the summoning spells I know of take time to make a potion and stuff first. We don't really have that time, huh?'  
  
Paige and Prue shook their heads.  
  
'Um, okay fine. I'll make one up. I summon to me, here and now.' Phoebe recited off the top of her head. As she finished the spell, Prue and Paige repeated it with her, once, twice, three times.  
  
In the middle of the attic, pages where stirring, as an invisible whirlwind spun itself around and around. Seconds later a little girl fell into the attic.  
  
'Who are you?' She asked.  
  
'I'm Paige, who are you?'  
  
'Grams said not to give my name out to strangers.'  
  
'I'm not a stranger.' Paige assured her.  
  
'My name's Piper Halliwell.'  
  
Prue's jaw dropped. Phoebe looked at the other two sisters. 'Do you know who I am?'  
  
'No, I don't know who you are. I just want my mommy.' Piper began to cry, and Paige, Phoebe and Prue exchanged glances.  
  
'Hey Piper, it's me Prue!' She exclaimed, bending down. 'Can you tell me how old you are??'  
  
'If you're Prue why do you look so OLD?' Piper demanded, as she crouched on the floor.  
  
'Oh long story. So. How old are you Piper?'  
  
Piper held up three fingers. 'Three.'  
  
Prue, Phoebe and Paige glanced at each other. "Well, we found Piper." Paige commented. "Only she's in the body of a three year old?"  
  
'No, that's her three year old body." Prue said, rolling her eyes as she stared at the little girl with brown pigtails.  
  
'Maybe we could do an ageing spell or something?" Paige suggested.  
  
'We might accidentally have her too old or something. Or maybe even in Piper's body with her three year old mind still. That'd really freak her out. Besides, I don't think she's going to be willing to participate in any spells.'  
  
'Can you tell me what you were doing before you got here?' Prue asked, still bending down in front of Piper.  
  
'I was helping Grams.' Piper explained, wrinkling her forehead while she thought. 'In the kitchen, because Prue was teasing me.'  
  
'Ooh Prue.' Paige joked.  
  
Prue glared at her. 'Okay, let's think. Um.'  
  
'How about when Phoebe cast that spell before she married Cole and her little self came? How did she send them back again?' Asked Leo.  
  
'Nothing that would have any relation to this spell.' Phoebe replied. 'But I might be able to think up another spell. What went wrong though?'  
  
'Oh we'll worry about that later. Now come on, the spell!'  
  
'Alright, umm.  
  
Earth, Fire, Water and Wind  
  
Send back this young girl  
  
Earth, Fire, Water and Wind  
  
Send to us Piper of this time and world?'  
  
Prue raised her eyebrows. 'Phoebe, that was the weirdest spell you ever thought of.'  
  
'Sorry. I'm under pressure.' Phoebe said, shrugging. 'Just repeat it, okay?'  
  
Prue and Paige sighed, but repeated it with her. A minute later, little Piper disappears. Another whirlwind appears and in falls Piper.  
  
'Piper! Are you okay? Where've you been?' Prue, Paige, Phoebe and Leo rush to her.  
  
'To demon wasteland and back.' Piper said tiredly. 'Remember where you went when Cole died Pheebs?'  
  
'Oh god, how did you get there? Are you okay?'  
  
'Well, let's just say demon hell's frozen over.' Piper said dryly. 'Seeing that all the demons there who ended up like Cole were after me I had no choice, did I?'  
  
'You froze hell?' Gasped Cole.  
  
'No, I just froze the demons there.' Piper said, rolling her eyes and waving her hand around in a motion, while accidentally freezing Cole. 'Oops.'  
  
'Oh leave him, he's getting annoying anyway.' Phoebe said dismissively. Piper unfroze him anyway.  
  
'How did you get to hell?' Leo asked.  
  
'I don't know, one minute I was putting a band aid on Mellie and the next minute I dropped in on Demon waste land.' Piper shrugged.  
  
'I'm going to check with the Elders. You four stick together.' Leo told them.  
  
'Maybe we should get you elastic cords and tie them around your waists?' Andy suggested, which made Glen laugh.  
  
'Well Piper we've got bad news.' Glen said, with a sigh. 'Uh, one of you girls want to tell her?' 


	15. The Art of Blowing Things Up

A/N: Nobody told me, did the new quotation marks work?  
  
*The Art of Blowing Hands Up*  
  
Prue stepped forward and began to explain. Piper's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. By the time Prue had finished Piper was in a state of shock.  
  
Phoebe cleared her throat. 'Piper? You with us?'  
  
'So let me get this straight.' Piper repeated. 'My kids are going to be Charmed ones?'  
  
'Basically, yes.'  
  
'Notice how the two sets of Charmed ones don't come from the same parents? What I mean is, Wyatt, Grace and Melinda are Phoebe and Piper's kids. While the twins and Paige's baby will be from Paige and Prue.' Leo said.  
  
'That's a good angle Leo.' Andy agreed.  
  
'Let's focus people.' Piper said. 'Or I'll freeze your mouths.'  
  
'Let's try summoning the kids. I mean, it worked for Piper.' Prue suggested.  
  
'What are you, crazy? Do you want Melinda to come back like forty or something?' Piper squawked.  
  
'Hey, that was just a glitch in the spell!' Phoebe protested.  
  
'Arguing won't get us anywhere.' Paige said in her best social worker voice. 'Okay, so Piper clearly thinks summoning spells are out of the question.'  
  
'Not completely. How about we try one on Grace first? After all Phoebe, it'd be your spell. It might as well be your daughter.' Piper said quickly.  
  
'Fine.' Phoebe agreed, and made a face. 'Umm. I'll just use the spell I used before and modify it. That should work.  
  
Earth, Fire, Water and Wind  
  
Send to us my daughter Grace  
  
Earth, Fire, Water and Wind  
  
Send her to me so I may see her face.'  
  
'Phoebe, you are getting worse at these spells! Maybe Paige should do them!' Prue cried out.  
  
'Hey at least it's working.' Piper pointed out as another whirlwind appeared. Grace appeared, but she made no movement. Suddenly a demon was thrown after her.  
  
'Grace!' Phoebe cried out. 'Are you okay? Where were you? We were so worried! And who are you?' She demanded of the demon.  
  
'Questions in a second.' Piper said, and froze him. 'Leo, permission to threaten to blow his arms up?'  
  
'Permission granted.' Leo said, nodding. 'Just get back Melinda and Wyatt.'  
  
'Okay and unfreeze!' Piper waved her hands about and unfroze the demon's head, leaving his body still frozen.  
  
'Hey, what's going on here?' He demanded  
  
'You're not very bright, are you?' Paige murmured.  
  
'I don't know who you are, but what have you done with Melinda and Wyatt?' Piper demanded. Leo stepped forward and placed an arm around Piper's shoulders.  
  
'Come here Grace.' Phoebe whispered, and pulled her towards her. She glared at Cole. 'This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't taken her!' She hissed.  
  
Cole snorted. 'Oh stop pointing fingers Phoebe.'  
  
'They're safe. For now.' The demon sneered.  
  
'Well that won't do! I want them and I want them now! So where are my kids?' Piper snapped.  
  
'Like I'm telling you.' The demon snorted.  
  
'I'll show you a neat trick?' Piper asked, and blew up a finger on his outstretched hand.  
  
'Ah!' The demon screamed, as black dust swirled around the room then out the window. 'You'll pay for that, witch.'  
  
'Tell that to my hand, 'cos it's about to blow up your other fingers.' Piper snarled. 'Now. Where are my kids? What do you want from them?'  
  
'The same every demon wants of course. The Charmed ones.'  
  
'Um hello? We're still Charmed too!' Piper cried, rolling her eyes.  
  
'But for how long? Take away your children and you become vulnerable, being so worried about them makes you sick with fear.' The demon said, laughing. 'The Charmed ones could dissolve in front of our eyes!'  
  
'Dissolve this!' Piper waved her hands and blew up another finger, while Phoebe ushered Grace out.  
  
'So what's your name?' Piper asked him.  
  
'His name's Krazias.' Cole spoke up.  
  
'Funny, it sounds a lot like crazy.' Prue said, raising her eyebrows.  
  
'Are you in this alone?' Piper asked. 'Where are you holding my children?' The demon remained silent, which Piper took as an invitation to blow off his right hand.  
  
'Arrgh! Alright, alright! I'm working for a demon named Korrine.' He panted, wincing at the pain of his missing hand.  
  
'Uh huh? Where's this Korrine guy's lair?' Piper asked.  
  
'Lair?' Glen asked, his eyebrows raised. 'It could be a cave or something.'  
  
'Shush.' Paige whispered. 'Piper's angry.'  
  
'I-'  
  
'Time's a tickin'!' Piper called, blowing up his other hand. 


	16. Pwah ha

A/N: Beautifulgarbage: If I leave you with a cliffhanger I should get more readers and reviewers ^_^ By the way, how is Cole's sulkiness working out? I'm trying to have more of Glen and Andy too.  
  
*Pwah-ha*  
  
'You'll just have to find it yourself. If you kill me or let me go I'd die anyway - what use is a demon with no hands that gave away his master's secret? At least I'd have my honor-' Krazias was saying.  
  
'Fine.' Piper agreed, and waved her hands. His entire body blew up, a swirl of black dust going out of the window.  
  
'What type of demon is this Korrine guy?' Prue asked Cole.  
  
'You ask of my opinion. I'm shocked.'  
  
'Cole.' Phoebe said, annoyed. 'Just answer her question.'  
  
'He's a Rithrow demon. He'd probably hide out under the cover of a rich human.'  
  
'So we're looking for a stinking rich demon? Wonderful, now we have to search mansions to find our children.' Piper said, angrily.  
  
'I think we could just narrow it down to one.' Prue suggested. 'I mean, what rich family doesn't socialize?'  
  
Everyone looked at each other. 'The Graffmans.' They all said at once.  
  
'In the Bay Mirror.' Phoebe said solemnly. 'In the gossip column that the Graffmans are reported to have never attended socializing functions.'  
  
'We might as well give it a try.' Prue agreed.  
  
Piper nodded. 'So what's our plan?'  
  
The eight exchanged glances. 'Good question.'  
  
Prue thought for a moment. 'Okay.' She said slowly. 'It's kind of risky, but worth a shot. Paige and I will orb Piper and Phoebe to the Graffman mansion. Or even just outside so we can see what rooms are empty.'  
  
'Then what?' Asked Piper.  
  
'Then I don't know.' Prue said, sighing. 'I mean, we don't know much about these demons.'  
  
'Uh people? It's called Book of Shadows? Or even BOS?' Paige asked, walking over to the book. 'Let's see, Rithrow demon, Rithrow. pwah-ha! Here we go!'  
  
'Pwah-ha?' Glen repeated in disbelief. 'PWAH-HA?'  
  
'Beats me.' Andy agreed in a shrug.  
  
'Rithrow demon. A demon that works under the disguise of a human, usually a rich one. Feeds on the pain of mortals.' Phoebe read aloud.  
  
'Well most demons do that.' Paige pointed out. 'So that doesn't help much, does it?'  
  
'No.' Agreed Prue. 'It doesn't.'  
  
'I wasn't finished. Anyway, it says here that Rithrow demons feed on the pain of mortals, and need it to survive. So they make people miserable. And they kind of eat the pain right out of you. You don't even know it.'  
  
'How can you not notice yourself feeling better? Sucking pain works for me.' Paige piped up.  
  
'Not sucking up pain. Feeding on it. So the more they eat the more it generates. It says here at least.' Phoebe explained. 'So depressed people are a target. And when your depression stops multiplying - they kind of just ditch you and leave you to wallow in your new found misery.'  
  
'I could've told you that.' Cole said sulkily.  
  
'Well you didn't, so keep quiet.' Phoebe snapped.  
  
'What does a Rithrow demon want with my kids?' Piper asked, frowning.  
  
'I have a theory.' Andy spoke up. 'Maybe, because Grace, Wyatt and Melinda are part human - since Piper and Phoebe are since Victor was human.'  
  
'We get it Andy.' Prue said with an amused smile. Andy grinned sheepishly.  
  
'Anyway, because they're part mortal he wants their pain. And didn't you say all the kids in the toy store were gone? And the parents too? Well separate a parent from their child and they're worried sick, anxious. Easy pray. As for a small child - imagine being in a strange place. That's a whole lot of anguish.' Andy explained.  
  
'I see what you mean. So why didn't we get stolen from the toy store?' Phoebe asked.  
  
'Well you're adult witches. And Cole is a demon. I think perhaps the Rithrow demon - or demons even - will make everyone miserable and then somehow send them back. Or even kill them. Then move onto Grace, Melinda and Wyatt, who by then would be very distressed. Because they know what demons can do obviously.'  
  
'It makes sense.' Glen agreed. 'Even to me.'  
  
'Plus, being magical and the next Charmed ones they have a lot of magic, and misery may generate more than it would in a normal human.' Andy finished.  
  
'That makes me a whole lot more worried.' Piper fretted.  
  
'Well now we have our theory. So now we need a plan.' Paige said. 'Dining chairs.' She added, and seven chairs orbed into the attic. Paige, Phoebe, Prue, Piper, Glen, Andy and Leo all sat.  
  
'Hey, what about me?' Cole protested.  
  
'You can stand.' Paige said, shrugging. 'I still haven't forgiven you for trying to make me think I was insane.'  
  
Cole muttered something. Prue caught a few words like 'some people' and 'irrational', but didn't say anything.  
  
'Okay here's the plan.' Paige suggested. 'After Prue and I orb Piper and Phoebe in we split up. Prue and Phoebe go look for the kids and Piper and I will be on watch. Back at the house Leo you've got to be ready to be on call.'  
  
'What if there's like some sort of spell over the house? I mean I bet you Melinda, Grace and Wyatt have called for you at least a million times.' Leo said to Paige.  
  
'Well we'll just have to hope for the best.' Paige continued. 'Meanwhile Glen you will be on the phone. I will leave my cell on in my pocket so it might be a bit muffled, but good enough.'  
  
'Paige you are genius.' Prue said. Paige gave a modest grin. 'So what comes next?' Prue asked, very willing to let her younger sister do the planning for a change.  
  
'Um. Uh. Okay. Phoebe leaves her cell on too and Cole can listen to that.'  
  
'Do these demons have anything particular power traits?' Phoebe asked Cole. 'Since you seem to know SO MUCH about them.'  
  
'Energy balls. Shimmering. If you're even the slightest big unsure they can take that, feed on it like a leach and soon you'll be in such a state you'll be useless.' Cole explained.  
  
'You should've told me that before I formulated the plan.' Paige growled.  
  
'Anything else?'  
  
'Nothing I can think of. But be careful - you have to hold yourself together or they'll eat you alive.' Cole warned them. 'Keep a level head don't get over-emotional. That can't of thing. Just don't give them anything to prey on. And some of the more superior Rithrow demons reach into your memories and pull out a traumatic one and you'll be like you're in a trance, just reliving a stream of memories.'  
  
'Okay, well there's a vanquishing potion in here. So let's make about four then get going.' 


	17. Storage Rooms Have Paintings Too

A/N: By the way, I made up the hold button on phones. I don't think there is one. Thanks for all the reviews, keep them coming! It lets me know what I need and whether you're enjoying it or not. Plus they can be so darn sweet! ^_^  
  
*Storage Rooms Have Paintings Too*  
  
'Now all we do is add the Maddox root.' Paige said, dropping a tentacle- like thing into the bubbling potion. There was a loud bang, and the potion turned blue.  
  
'Perfect.' Paige said, smiling.  
  
'You're becoming quite the Potions whiz.' Prue commented.  
  
'Thanks.' Paige said, with a smile. She hadn't known Prue as long as the others, so she still felt a bit uncertain about proving herself to her.  
  
Prue seemed to sense this. 'You don't have to show me you're a good witch. You're a great witch - and a great sister. I'm glad to have you as one.' She said gently. 'If we're going to go into this freaky house where they leech out our misery, we're going to have to be ready, and we can't be unsure of anything.' She continued. 'So I want you to know now, that I have no doubts in you.'  
  
'Thanks.' Paige said, feeling better. She began bottling the potion. 'Wow, we have extras.'  
  
'Good.' Prue took four bottles. 'We can give these to the guys.'  
  
'Great.' Paige bottled the last four, then put the pot in the sink. 'Let's go then.' The two orbed to the attic and handed Andy, Leo, Cole and Glen a vanquishing potion each. 'Just in case.'  
  
'While we go there I say you guys have a heart to heart or something. You know? Get away any uncertainty in case they come here.' Phoebe was saying.  
  
Prue shot Phoebe a worried look as Paige finished handing out potions.  
  
'You think they'll come here?' She asked, frowning.  
  
'They might.' Leo agreed.  
  
'Oh great.' Prue said, sighing. 'Maybe I should stay here with you? I mean I might've died and become a whitelighter but I still have all my powers to protect you.'  
  
'Remember what you said Prue? No doubts. Leo and Andy are whitelighters and Cole is a demon. Glen can just grab one of them and they'll orb or shimmer him away.' Paige said with a confident smile. 'I mean I have the human fiancé and I'm not worried at all.'  
  
'You're right.' Prue agreed. 'So, are we ready girls?'  
  
'Not yet.' Paige said, turning her cell phone on. She dialed the cordless phone, which rang. Glen pressed talk.  
  
'Okay.' Paige hit HOLD to stop any buttons from disconnecting the call, before slipping it into her pocket  
  
Phoebe called Glen's phone, which he was lending to Cole, before doing the same as Paige, hitting hold and slipping it into her pocket.  
  
Prue then called Piper's phone, so the two groups could keep in touch.  
  
'Okay ready.' Phoebe said, grabbing Prue's arm. Piper grabbed Paige's and the four orbed out of the attic.  
  
They arrived at a beautiful mansion. 'Whoa.' Muttered Paige. 'I'd like to know what these demons do for a living - other than suck the misery from people that is.'  
  
'Keep it together.' Piper urged her, feeling her pocket for her phone. 'Where are you guys?' She asked her phone.  
  
'We're inside.' Prue's voice answered. 'Don't worry about us. We'll look for the kids.'  
  
'Maybe we should orb inside?' Piper asked, after ending the call in case her talking gave Prue and Phoebe away.  
  
'Yeah, let's do that.' Paige agreed, grabbing Piper's hand and orbing her inside. They found themselves in a beautiful room.  
  
'Let's look around. See if we can find Prue and Phoebe. You know, stay near them.' Piper whispered, and the two tiptoed into the next room. The walls were covered with shelves of books and there were high backed armchairs in the middle of the room.  
  
'Library I'd assume.' Paige whispered. 'Shall we keep looking?'  
  
'Of course.' Piper said, rather excited at being in such a nice house. Piper led them to another room, which looked a great deal like the dining room.  
  
'This house is awfully quiet.' Paige commented.  
  
'The more quiet the better I suppose. I think that would mean nobody was home.' Piper whispered back.  
  
'Well you'd be wrong.' A voice said. Paige and Piper slowly turned around to see a woman with salt-and-pepper colored hair staring at them.  
  
'Uh. Oh.' Paige muttered.  
  
'Mind telling me what you're doing in my home?' She asked icily.  
  
'Uh. we're uh. we were sent to estimate how much a painting would be.' Paige blurted out.  
  
'I didn't send for anybody.' The woman told them.  
  
'Well someone did. We're absolutely certain this is the right house. The person who phoned didn't specify which room it was in.' Paige added.  
  
'What did it look like?' The woman asked, lip curling unpleasantly.  
  
Piper acted as if she were offended. 'What did it LOOK like Ma'am? Why, with all respect we cannot describe the great artworks of painters! We're nothing but painting evaluators, and yet you treat us as if we had the words describe such a painting? I'm flattered, but you are wrong, as we would never find the words to.'  
  
'Fine. I'll take you through the rooms till you find the ones you're after. How much is my husband paying you?' She added.  
  
'Oh quite a lot.' Paige said dismissively. 'But we're not in it for the money! No, we're here to simply view great art. If there is anything valuable that is.'  
  
'Well, come then. You've seen the other rooms I presume?' The woman asked.  
  
'Yes, yes.'  
  
The woman began to lead them through a series of beautiful rooms. At each painting Piper or Paige would shake her head.  
  
'No this isn't it I'm afraid.' They'd say, before the woman would lead them on. Around the upstairs corridor Paige began to get worried they'd accidentally go into a room where Prue and Phoebe were.  
  
'What about this room?' Piper asked, nodding at a closed door they'd missed.  
  
'No, there are no paintings in there.' The woman said smoothly. 'It's just an empty room.'  
  
'A storage room?' Paige asked. The woman nodded hurriedly.  
  
'Well a storage room may contain a stored painting!' Paige exclaimed.  
  
'No.' The woman snapped. 'There's nothing. And we've been through all the rooms. Where is this painting?'  
  
'There!' Piper pointed at the end of the hall. The woman turned, and Piper froze her, which didn't work.  
  
'That old thing?' The woman sneered.  
  
'Uh yeah.' Piper nodded, shooting Paige a wide-eyed look. Paige came up with the solution of grabbing an empty, blue-colored wine bottle and breaking it over the woman's head. She shuddered, then fell to the floor. 


	18. House of Fears

A/N: A long one this time.  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Charmed it wouldn't be so Phreebie, erm Pheeble based. Oops I mean Phoebe based.  
  
*House of Fears*  
  
Meanwhile Prue and Phoebe were exploring the rest of the house. Unknown to Piper and Paige, there was another wing of the house, which the woman hadn't shown them.  
  
'Okay, you know this is what, the ninth room we've come across? And there are no kids.' Phoebe said, beginning to get frustrated.  
  
As there were muffled voices on the other end of the phone, Phoebe glared at it. 'Cole.' She hissed. 'Will you lot shut up? You'll give us away!' She said, annoyed.  
  
The voices grew softer, and stopped. Phoebe rolled her eyes.  
  
'Okay, so where were we-' Phoebe asked, turning to Prue. The space where Prue had been standing was empty. 'Hey you gotta wait for me Prue!' Phoebe complained. 'You can't just walk off - Prue?' The room in which they'd been about to go in was empty. 'Prue?' There was no reply. 'Okay this isn't funny anymore. Remember? No doubts? Well you're making me doubtful here. Get your ass over here Prue!'  
  
As Prue didn't answer, Phoebe headed back to the room where they'd been before. Only, it wasn't the same room. 'Crap.' Phoebe muttered. 'Ooh crap.' As she turned to the door, she discovered it wasn't there. 'Oh. God. No.' Phoebe said, beginning to feel afraid. She turned in a full 360-degree circle. There was not a door anywhere.  
  
'Okay Cole you can send Leo to get me.' She said aloud to her phone, taking it out of her pocket. 'Hello? Cole?' There was no reply, only the tone, which meant the call had ended. Phoebe frowned and called Cole back. Nothing happened.  
  
'Hey?' Phoebe shook her phone, and then stared at the screen. It was off. She tried turning it on again, but it didn't work. 'Damn it! LEO! LEO!' Phoebe began to scream. 'Leo where are you?' Phoebe looked at the ceiling as she called for him. To her horror, the beautiful chandelier seemed to be moving down.  
  
'Please don't let the ceiling close in on me.' Phoebe whimpered, crouching on the floor. 'Please?' The ceiling continued its descent. 'Help me! Leo! Prue! Piper! Phoebe! Cole even! Help!'  
  
Phoebe felt the ground began to shake. Or maybe she was shaking and the ground was staying still?  
  
* *  
  
Prue sighed. She must have lost Phoebe back somewhere. 'Phoebe, where the heck are you?' She asked, walking back to the room where Phoebe had been talking on the phone. Phoebe was crouched on the floor, whimpering and screaming for help.  
  
'Phoebe? Are you all right? PHOEBE?' Prue shook her sister, who screamed louder. 'Phoebe it's me Prue! It's okay! Everything's all right! Phoebe snap out of it!' Prue had an idea. Kneeling next to Phoebe, she held her hands above her eyes and healed them. Technically they hadn't been harmed, but Prue figured Phoebe must have been seeing illusions. It was worth a try anyway.  
  
Phoebe shuddered, and blinked. 'Prue? Oh Prue, why did you leave me?' Phoebe started to cry. 'The ceiling started coming down and my phone didn't work. And then the ground began shaking.' She sobbed. 'Oh god it was so horrible!'  
  
'Phoebe it was just an illusion.' Prue soothed. 'It was nothing. You're seeing things. There must be a spell or something and you must've stepped into the web of it.'  
  
'Oh wonderful. There are booby traps all around the house.' Phoebe muttered, as she pulled herself together.  
  
'That's better.' Prue said, nodding. 'Are you all right now? Cos if you're worried. it isn't good.'  
  
'Maybe because I'm already worried about Grace the web affected me, and not you.' Phoebe suggested, as Prue helped her stand - rather wobbly but still standing.  
  
'Maybe.' Prue quickly called Piper. 'Hi Piper? Where are you guys?'  
  
'Was about to ask you the same thing. We've been through every room in the house. Oh and we knocked out a woman.' Piper added. 'We're about to orb into the storage room.' Piper explained.  
  
'Well there's another wing to the house.' Prue replied, glancing at Phoebe. 'Phoebe just got hit by a bout of illusions. She's okay now, but she was in hysterics when I found her. Stick together and be alert. Maybe you should cast a spell so you can see any booby trap spells or something.'  
  
'Okay, will do.' Piper agreed. 'How come you didn't get harmed? I mean if you were with her at the time.'  
  
'I think it's because she's really worried about Grace. So she'd be an easy target for something like that. You be careful okay? Tell Paige that I healed Phoebe's eyes to get her out of it.' Prue hung up, and turned to Phoebe.  
  
'You ready?' Phoebe nodded, and grabbed the sleeve of Prue's jacket. Prue didn't object - it was a pretty good idea considering what had just happened.  
  
* *  
  
The orb, which contained Paige and Piper, landed inside the storage room. 'Storage room indeed.' Paige murmured.  
  
'Well it does store things.' Piper pointed out, as she turned to look at the large room, which held hundreds of adults in chains.  
  
'Who are you?' A woman asked, terrified. 'And what've you done to by little boy?'  
  
'Calm down, we're not here to hurt you. You might see some strange things, but we're the good guys.' Paige assured them in her best social worker voice.  
  
'Leo!' Piper called. 'Get over here!' A few moments later Leo orbed into the room. 'You may need re-enforcements.' Piper added, glancing at the many people.  
  
'Andy's coming.' Leo said. As he finished, Andy orbed in.  
  
'Hi Andy. Can you orb these people back to the manor?' Piper asked. Andy and Leo nodded.  
  
'Okay, hold on.' Piper froze them all. 'That should hold for now. Just in case, lock 'em in a room. Give me a call if they unfreeze. We'll deal with them later.' She continued, looking at the adults. 'Right now it's the kids we have to find.'  
  
Leo and Andy began grabbing people and orbing them out. 'That ought to do it.' Piper said, satisfied.  
  
The two left the room. In the hall the woman was still lying out cold. Piper froze her just for good measure and dragged her into the empty storage room.  
  
'Should I blow her up?' Piper asked. 'Cos I blew up that Korinne guy without a vanquish.'  
  
'Nah. She might be stronger than Korinne. But lets vanquish him just in case.' Piper said. 'Can you think of a spell?' Piper asked.  
  
'Uh.  
  
Rithrow demon, misery on which you feed  
  
We vanquish you now, so the innocents may be freed.' Paige said quickly.  
  
'Uh wait.' Piper called Phoebe. 'Get over here.' Prue and Phoebe orbed in a minute later, and repeated the spell. Piper threw hers at the demon-woman, who was vanquished.  
  
'We're going to go now.' Prue grabbed Phoebe and they orbed out.  
  
'So now what?' Piper asked. 'We keep looking? Because we've been through every room and-'  
  
Paige cut her short and pointed to the hallway ceiling. There was a wooden frame, painted white to match itself to the ceiling. 'Ladder.' Paige ordered. A moment later a ladder orbed in front of her. Paige and Piper climbed up and Paige pressed on the ceiling inside the frame. As predicted it went up.  
  
'Let's go.' Paige said, pushing it up more then climbing through. Piper followed her and her jaw dropped.  
  
'Mellie are you alright?' She rushed towards her daughter in a panic. Melinda was sprawled on the floor of the room, which was directly under the ceiling. The only light filtered in through a dirty window.  
  
'She's been drugged.' Paige whispered. 'And I think there must be something about this house. I mean we could orb in. And Prue could orb into the next room. But can you orb out is the question.' Paige tried to orb, and couldn't get past the ceiling. Her orb bounced around the room, till she formed herself.  
  
'So why didn't Melinda just orb herself to the lobby and run?' Piper asked.  
  
'She's drugged remember? And I'll bet Wyatt and Grace are too or they would have orbed out. Well Wyatt would have. Grace might have had a chance, as these Rithrow demons have to shimmer out themselves.'  
  
'Okay, less talk more rescuing.' Piper picked up her daughter. 'Can you heal her or something?'  
  
'She's drugged, not injured.' Paige objected. Piper gave her a pleading look. Sighing, Paige wondered where she should heal.  
  
'Try her head. Maybe you can wake her up.' Piper suggested. Paige tried to heal Melinda on the head. Melinda stirred, and then woke up.  
  
'Mommy!' She cried. 'Mommy I'm scared!'  
  
'Don't worry sweetie we'll get you home. And don't be scared okay? Be brave. In this house, you'll have to be.' Piper murmured, as she put Melinda down so they could leave the small room. 'Do you know where Wyatt or Grace are?'  
  
Melinda shook her head. 'One minute I was at home. I woke up a bit and there was something on my mouth. And then everything was fuzzy and they put me in here. And then I woke up.'  
  
'Okay.' They climbed back into the hallway.  
  
'And where do you think you're going?' An icy cold voice asked. Piper turned, and there was a man, smirking at them.  
  
'Uh. we examine paintings. We were just checking for any.' Piper said. 'My baby sitter cancelled so I bought my daughter with me.'  
  
'I'm not stupid; you're obviously a Charmed one. Hello there little girl.' The man grinned, then pointed at Melinda. A silvery, filmy looking fog went from Melinda to him. Melinda began to cry hysterically, and collapsed on the floor.  
  
'What'd you do to her?' Piper cried.  
  
'It wouldn't matter, your little girl is a mess now. She's never going to be the same again.' The man began to laugh coldly. 'And you'll be next!'  
  
'Melinda! Melinda?' Piper screamed, shaking Melinda.  
  
Melinda cried more, and didn't look at her.  
  
'Seems to work differently with children.' The man added, looking at Melinda. 'Instead of a depression they get hysterical. Seem to think there are monsters everywhere. Same thing happened to your son.'  
  
'Wyatt?' Piper cried. Suddenly she was jolted, and found herself curled up in a ball in the hallway. Paige and Melinda were looking at her.  
  
'You all right Piper? You were screaming and crying. I had to heal your eyes or something.' Paige said, looking concerned.  
  
'It was just an illusion. Let's go. I think I know how the fear feeding thing works too.' 


	19. There's Something About Melinda

A/N: Almost at the end :O  
  
*There's Something About Melinda*  
  
In the meantime Prue and Phoebe were exploring the last of the rooms in their wing. 'This officially sucks.' Phoebe announced, as they started over in the kitchen to begin their search again.  
  
Prue ignored her, as she looked around the kitchen carefully.  
  
'Okay, Prue? Now's not the time to eat.' Phoebe told her as Prue headed towards the pantry. Phoebe scurried after her. 'Prue?'  
  
'I'm not getting food Phoebe.' Prue replied in exasperation. 'I just have a hunch.' Prue pulled the bolt on the pantry back and opened it. 'Ah-ha!' She exclaimed. The pantry was filled with shelves of food, but also was a door.  
  
'What?' Phoebe couldn't see the door, which was disguised well. It had been painted creamy to match the wallpaper, and even had shelves attached to it, with food on it.  
  
'Look.' Prue rolled her eyes, and walked to the end of the small room. Hidden behind a box of cereal were five locks and a few padlocks. There was a doorknob behind a packet of chips, with a keyhole in the doorknob.  
  
'This shouldn't be too hard.' Prue said to Phoebe. Prue concentrated, and the locks ripped themselves off the door.  
  
'Boy am I glad you retained your powers when you became a whitelighter. Though since when could you break metal?' Phoebe wondered.  
  
'Shh.' Prue told her, as she unbolted the locks on the door. Waving at the doorknob, it flew out. Prue pushed open the door and gasped.  
  
* *  
  
'Mellie?' Piper asked. 'Maybe it's better you orb home to daddy?'  
  
Melinda frowned. 'Mommy I can never get my orbing right unless it's right above me like upstairs.'  
  
'Yeah Piper her orbing is way off.' Paige agreed.  
  
'Melinda, I really don't think it's safe for you to be here.' Piper objected. 'I mean what with all these illusions. you're just a little girl. You're only three years old.'  
  
'But I'll be four soon!' Melinda boasted.  
  
'In six months.' Piper said wearily. 'Please?'  
  
Melinda stubbornly shook her head. Piper sighed. 'Fine. But stick close to me or Aunt Paige, and if anything happens you orb out.'  
  
'It wouldn't matter, she can't orb out remember?' Paige reminded her. 'The only way out is for us to orb to the front door and then leave the normal way, which totally sucks.'  
  
Piper frowned, and picked Melinda up. 'Now keep quiet Mellie, we have to find Wyatt and Grace.' She told her. 'Can you keep quiet?'  
  
Melinda nodded, then screamed. A man with the coldest eyes she'd ever seen was standing in front of them.  
  
'This isn't an illusion is it?' Piper asked quietly.  
  
'No it's not.' Paige said firmly. 'We examine paintings.' Paige told him. 'Do you think you could show us where all the paintings are in the house?'  
  
The man raised his eyebrow. 'I didn't call for anyone. And I know for certain my wife didn't because I found her knocked out in the hallway.' He said in a quiet, spine chilling voice.  
  
'Oh that's horrible.' Piper said, aghast. 'Who would do such?'  
  
'I'd assume you. Either you're trying to steal a painting or you're not who you say you are.' His eyes flickered over them. 'Witches I'd say.'  
  
Piper glanced at Paige, and then waved her hands at him. He blew up in a cloud of black dust like Korrine. Piper smirked, then looked somewhat scared as the black dust reformed itself into the man.  
  
'Since you didn't blow up like Korrine, I'll assume that you're Krazias.' Piper asked.  
  
He nodded and smirked. 'That would be me, correct. And I'll assume, after that show of power, that you are the Charmed ones. Or at least, two of them. Where's the third?'  
  
'Don't you mean third and fourth?' Paige asked with a smirk.  
  
Krazias shrugged. 'It doesn't bother me. Just more to feed on.' He looked at Melinda. 'Now who do we have here?'  
  
Melinda looked at him, terrified, as he shot out his finger. Piper was about to blow him up again, but before he could do anything and she could blow him up, Melinda waved her little hands and blew him up herself.  
  
'You mean man.' She sniffled. 'I don't like you.'  
  
Paige and Piper grinned. 'Uh oh.' Piper said, as the demon began to re- form.  
  
'Quick Paige, let's get out of here!' Piper cried. Melinda orbed out, taking Piper with her since she was carrying her. Paige looked at their disappearing orb.  
  
'Lamp.' She called. A lamp orbed into her hand, and she orbed behind the demon. She smashed it over his head, before orbing out, and wondering if she had knocked him out cold or if he was unaffected.  
  
* *  
  
Prue and Phoebe gaped at the children in the room. There were around a hundred, and they were all hysterical, crying, screaming or rocking in quiet balls.  
  
They paid no attention to Prue or Phoebe. 'They've been fed upon.' Prue said softly. 'We need to get them out of here.'  
  
Suddenly Piper and Melinda orbed in. 'Bad news. You can't actually orb out of the house.' Piper reported. She gasped as she saw all the children, and looked even more anxious when she saw neither Grace nor Wyatt amongst them.  
  
Paige orbed in, just in time to hear Piper's question.  
  
'I just thought of something. Where did Andy and Leo go if you can't orb out?' Paige asked. The four exchanged worried glances.  
  
'They can handle themselves. We'll worry about that later.' Prue decided. 'We have to save these innocents.'  
  
'Hey wait, what's that?' Phoebe asked, stepping into the room, and over to a curtain. It was covering a window, but beside the window was a door.  
  
'It's another window isn't it?' Prue asked.  
  
'That's what they want you to think.' Phoebe replied.  
  
'Door.' Paige said lazily. The door orbed away and in front of her. Piper froze it, and the girls proceeded into the room.  
  
'Grace!' Phoebe cried.  
  
'Wyatt!' Piper put Melinda down and run to her son, who was lying almost unconscious.  
  
'Mom?' He slurred. 'Is that you?'  
  
'It's me.' Piper confirmed. 'Are you okay?' Piper gave him a look over. 'You were drugged weren't you?'  
  
'No.' Wyatt objected. 'I've been awake the whole t-time.'  
  
'Then why aren't you afraid like they are? Why are you so feverish?' Piper asked frantically.  
  
'He fed too much. sucked all the fear out. Stopped multiplying.' Grace murmured, as she flopped onto her side.  
  
'We're going to need some healing done.' Piper muttered, putting the back of her hand against Wyatt's sweaty forehead.  
  
Paige and Melinda stepped forward. Prue was too busy looking around in the room they had been held captive in.  
  
'Why was Melinda put separate?' Prue asked. Everyone's eyes turned to Melinda.  
  
'There's something about you girlie.' Phoebe whispered to her niece. 'You must be something pretty special.'  
  
'And I thought Wyatt was going to be powerful when he was born.' Piper muttered. 'Sweetie, what'd they do to you?'  
  
Wyatt stood up and shook his head. 'I don't know.' He admitted. 'My shield was practically immune to them.'  
  
'Want to know why?' Another voice asked. All of them turned around. It was Krazias and his wife.  
  
'Why?' Piper challenged.  
  
'Your son puts his shield up out of fear to protect himself. We eat fear.' Laughed Krazias. 'In case you forgot.' Krazias pointed his finger at them. 'Who should I start with Jezebel dear?'  
  
'Jezebel? What a name!' Grace snorted. Phoebe glanced at her, but didn't tell her off.  
  
Melinda stepped forward. Wyatt couldn't blow people up, but for some reason, even though she was younger, she could.  
  
She waved her hands at Jezebel. She blew up, just as Korrine had.  
  
'Jezebel!' Krazias screamed. 'You little.' Krazias stepped forward and shot his finger out at Melinda. A wisp of silvery stuff started to go towards him.  
  
'No!' Grace and Wyatt cried out. Wyatt tried to freeze the silvery orb. It hung suspended for a moment, before continuing it's path to Krazias, who was grinning maliciously.  
  
Grace threw an energy ball at Krazias, and Wyatt continued freezing the orb to prevent it or save time.  
  
The sisters gathered together. 'Are you ready?' Prue whispered, and threw the potion at the feet of Krazias. It began to smolder and he started screaming.  
  
'Krazias, demon of evil intent  
  
Send him to hell, and let him be spent.' They recited. Phoebe tried not to cringe at her terrible spell, but it did the job anyway.  
  
Krazias began screaming. He disappeared in a roar of flames. 


	20. Final Chapter

A/N: This is the last chapter for PTPBT!! I'm considering making a sequel called 'The Pieces Are Falling Apart Again'. What do you guys think? Let me know, or there may be no more PTPBT. :O This chapter is kind of boring, but I had to have a happy ending (  
  
Piper sent the last innocent on his way. He picked up his son and left. After a few hundred memory potions Piper, Prue, Phoebe and Paige had managed to get all the adults and children home. Phoebe had also managed to whip up a spell to erase the depression and fear caused by Krazias and Jezebel.  
  
Piper made her way up to her room. It was already nine o clock. Time to get Melinda and Wyatt to bed - after a day like this. Piper figured Leo would be consulting with the elders - he and Andy had been orbing around the house like mad, being repelled by the roof. They finally figured out (after a bit of time) they couldn't orb out properly, and had to herd the innocents out like cows.  
  
Much to her surprise, Leo was sitting in the rocking chair between Melinda and Wyatt's beds.  
  
'Leo, what are you doing here?' Piper asked surprised.  
  
'I'm putting my kids to bed.' Leo said with a smile. 'So Mellie? Wyatt? Pick a story.'  
  
'I'm too sleepy for stories tonight Dad.' Wyatt yawned. 'I just want to sleep.' Wyatt fell asleep mid sentence.  
  
Melinda kneeled on her bed and gave Wyatt and Piper each a hug. 'Goodnight mommy. Goodnight daddy.' She said sleepily, before crawling under the covers and falling asleep immediately.  
  
Leo turned to Piper with a smile. 'I guess that means our work here is done?' He asked.  
  
'It is.' Piper agreed with a smile. The two walked out of the room and flicked off the lights. Leo squeezed Piper's hand.  
  
'Are we alright now?' He asked. 'I've been going through some hard times lately. I know I should have told you but-'  
  
'It's alright Leo. I understand.' Piper smiled up at him. 'So. what do you want to do now?' She asked.  
  
'Well everything seems done. The kids are asleep. The demons are vanquished.' Leo glanced up. 'I've got the next few weeks off.'  
  
'Really?' Piper squealed. Leo nodded. 'I know what we can do.' Piper said, as they stopped at their bedroom. Piper turned the lights on and pulled Leo in, before closing the door.  
  
* *  
  
Paige and Glen sat in the nursery. Paige gazed around at the cribs, bottles and changing table.  
  
'Just think.' She said with a smile. 'Soon we'll be spending a lot more time in here than we'd like.'  
  
'It's worth it.' Glen announced. 'Don't you think so?'  
  
'Of course!' Paige said firmly. 'A baby's always a good thing.' Just then Prue and Andy came into the room.  
  
'I didn't think I'd find you here.' Prue said, flopping onto the couch.  
  
'I'm getting used to my soon regular surroundings.' Paige explained.  
  
'I see.' Prue smiled. 'Well at least I'm not going through this alone. I mean I know I totally have Piper and Phoebe on my side, but you've never had a baby before. And neither have I. So it'll be different - sure they'll tell us what it's like but we get to experience it for the first time.' Prue smiled at Paige. 'And when I experience it, I won't be experiencing pregnancy alone.'  
  
'Now you're just rambling.' Glen commented.  
  
Andy cleared his throat. 'Ahem. Of course you won't experience it alone.'  
  
Prue rolled her eyes. 'Do you have the baby? Do you have the cravings? Do you have the mood swings?' She teased. Andy shut his mouth.  
  
* *  
  
Phoebe tucked Grace into bed. 'You scared me today Grace.' She told her seriously. 'You really did.'  
  
'Sorry.' Grace apologized. 'I didn't mean to.'  
  
'Of course you didn't.' Phoebe gave her a hug. 'Just don't do it again.'  
  
Grace paused. 'Mommy?'  
  
'Uh huh?'  
  
'I like Uncle Jason and everything but. I really miss daddy.'  
  
Phoebe sighed. 'Grace, sometimes mommy's and daddy's don't get along. We've talked about it remember?'  
  
Grace nodded. 'But how come Melinda and Wyatt have mommies and daddies, and the twins and the new baby will have mommies and daddies?'  
  
'Well you have a mommy and a daddy.'  
  
'But mine don't even live in the same house! They can't even stand to be in the same room!' Grace exclaimed. 'Why can't you just be with daddy? Then I can be like them too.'  
  
Phoebe shook her head.  
  
'Please?' Grace pleaded. 'For me?'  
  
Phoebe had to smile. 'I'll think about it.' She promised. 'Good night.' Phoebe got up and turned off the light, before closing the door. 


End file.
